Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Best-smelling chemicals

Amos - 4-9-2014 at 12:43

This is a pretty weird one, but what would you users say is the chemical they've synthesized or encountered that smells the best to you, personally? And I'm referring to pure compounds (or meant to be pure); not essential oils that contain loads of things.

I personally love the smell of chloroform, though acetone has really grown on me since I started doing chemistry. Methyl salicylate is of course wonderful too.

Edit: I really should've used the search engine first.

[Edited on 9-4-2014 by No Tears Only Dreams Now]

hyfalcon - 4-9-2014 at 13:44

For smell you can't beat Ethyl methylphenylglycidate. What can I say, I'm a child of the 60's. LOL

Think strawberry incense and rolling papers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethyl_methylphenylglycidate

[Edited on 4-9-2014 by hyfalcon]

Mailinmypocket - 4-9-2014 at 13:59

For me I love the smell of pure phenol, no clue why as some people hate it.

This is a similar thread on best smelling chemicals:

http://www.sciencemadness.org/talk/viewthread.php?tid=1216

gdflp - 4-9-2014 at 15:02

My personal favorite is benzaldehyde, I just love the smell.:D

Metacelsus - 4-9-2014 at 16:37

+1 for benzaldehyde. I recently made some from Mn-catalyzed electrochemical oxidation of toluene, and it smells great!

woelen - 4-9-2014 at 23:20

I made chlorobutanol, CH3C(CCl3)(OH)CH3, from acetone and chloroform. This stuff has a fantastic cooling smell. It makes you feel like your throat opens up widely and makes breathing easy. It also gives a great cooling sensation, like peppermint. You should not inhale too much of this though, it makes you drowsy and reduces your conciousness (so no driving or controlling complicated things after you inhaled this stuff).

nezza - 5-9-2014 at 00:10

Diethyl ether - mmm.

Amos - 5-9-2014 at 03:03

Quote: Originally posted by woelen  
I made chlorobutanol, CH3C(CCl3)(OH)CH3, from acetone and chloroform. This stuff has a fantastic cooling smell. It makes you feel like your throat opens up widely and makes breathing easy. It also gives a great cooling sensation, like peppermint. You should not inhale too much of this though, it makes you drowsy and reduces your conciousness (so no driving or controlling complicated things after you inhaled this stuff).


Thank you woelen, I now know what I'm going to synthesize next!

barbs09 - 5-9-2014 at 04:30

Along side actually nice smelling chemicals are those that evoke a sense of nostalgia. For me a diluted smell of iodine or chlorine and even acetic acid reminds me of my younger experimental years, or what I imagine an old school chemistry lab should smell like, despite some of these chemicals not being particularly pleasant smelling. I still get a smile when I smell bleach as it reminds me of electrolysis of salt to make potassium chlorate- that smile inducing chemical :):):);)

Amos - 5-9-2014 at 05:03

Quote: Originally posted by barbs09  
Along side actually nice smelling chemicals are those that evoke a sense of nostalgia. For me a diluted smell of iodine or chlorine and even acetic acid reminds me of my younger experimental years, or what I imagine an old school chemistry lab should smell like, despite some of these chemicals not being particularly pleasant smelling. I still get a smile when I smell bleach as it reminds me of electrolysis of salt to make potassium chlorate- that smile inducing chemical :):):);)


Ah, yes. That's more of what I meant when I said acetone was nice-smelling.
salicylic acid is the same way for me.

Fantasma4500 - 5-9-2014 at 06:43

the smell after burning off KNO3 Mg and ferrocerium flashpowder

also phosphine and resorcinol
couldnt help but tasting some resorcinol, ill keep it to nanogrammes although

a more mixed up 'chemical' -- cannabinoids and THC, not sure which of it that gives the smell but if its too much smell then it just gets disgusting

also one thing pretty much everyone i have ever met will disagree: ammonia

edit: smell of freshly deflagrated AP, perhaps its all about nostalgia..? should have done some esters when i started with chemistry..

[Edited on 5-9-2014 by Antiswat]

Magpie - 5-9-2014 at 09:19

I love the smell of benzaldehyde. Phenol is seductive but a little scary. Same for ammonia. My homemade nerolin smells really nice.

I have a strong nostalgia for the sights, sounds, and smells of my university organic chemistry lab: long black benches, high ceilings, dark wood window casements, smell of steam baths in operation, smell of ether or sometimes ethyl bromide, hissing sound like air escaping (not sure what that is), etc.

metalresearcher - 5-9-2014 at 09:53

The 'typical' odor of ethanol. Of which I mean, the odorant of lens cleaning 96+% ethanol.

I think, really pure ethanol has no odor in itself ?

Mailinmypocket - 5-9-2014 at 15:22

Anhydrous ethanol definitely has a distinct smell... Not strong like 2-propanol though in my opinion.

Thymol smells quite peculiar, not as nice as camphor and the smell lingers but it isn't bad.

confused - 5-9-2014 at 19:23

Vanillin, that stuff smells lovely

BlackDragon2712 - 5-9-2014 at 20:59

As far as my experience can tell, I really like the smell of phenol and eugenol but my favorite one by far is vanillin although isoamyl acetate (and lots of esters) gives a hard fight. I've been told that fructone also smells delicious!

Fantasma4500 - 9-9-2014 at 09:09

in our school lab if we have as little as 0.01mL of methanol we have to hold it under something to remove the supremely deadly vapours, however i went totally rogue when i decided to smell what 'absolute alcohol' smells like
it said 95%, not sure what the rest 5% were but it smelt different than normal 93% alcohol with denatonium benzoate and other things in it, it smelt very sweet
anyhow.. what can be 100% pure anyways

Praxichys - 10-9-2014 at 04:31

DON'T do this.... but I got a whiff of methyl ethyl ketazine the other day straight off the extraction step of a large (~150g) hydrazine sulfate prep.

It's very sweet and flowery to start, almost like lilac, then finishes up spicy with the smell of fresh-cut green peppers, but with more of a bite.

xfusion44 - 10-9-2014 at 13:44

I think, chloroform has pretty good smell (don't smell it too often, or for too long time - carcinogen). Also acetonitrile has a good smell (but please try to avoid smelling it, because it metabolises in body, to produce hydrogen cyanide, which is very toxic and other toxic compounds). I've read on wikipedia that it has similar smell to diethyl ether, but was surprised, when I found out that this wasn't actually true, or maybe just my ether had some ingredients inside that would change the smell? weird...

zirconiumiodide - 14-9-2014 at 14:47


The chemical compound 4-Hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde (Vanillin) is probably one of my favourite smells.

A reason i love organic chemistry - home of the best smelling chemicals! ;)

[Edited on 14-9-2014 by zirconiumiodide]

Amos - 14-9-2014 at 15:09

Quote: Originally posted by zirconiumiodide  

The chemical compound 4-Hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde (Vanillin) is probably one of my favourite smells.


Obviously I really need to make some vanillin. I'm starting a "smells" collection of sorts.
Quote: Originally posted by zirconiumiodide  

A reason i love organic chemistry - home of the best smelling chemicals! ;)
[Edited on 14-9-2014 by zirconiumiodide]


Not to mention all of the worst toxins and carcinogens!;)

BromicAcid - 14-9-2014 at 16:04

Cinnamaldehyde, one of the universities I used to do waste disposal for was getting rid of a 500 g bottle of this material, wonderful smell when I poured it up into the flammable waste.

Cou - 12-10-2014 at 19:49

Weirdly enough, I really like the smell of hydrogen sulfide (in low concentrations, of course). Reminds me of scrambled eggs, but most people act it smells like death.

Someone said they like the smell of chlorine. What is it about highly toxic gases that makes them smell so good?

[Edited on 13-10-2014 by Cou]

[Edited on 13-10-2014 by Cou]

j_sum1 - 13-10-2014 at 01:23

[Reposting this since all my posts vanished. :( ]

I quite enjoy H2S also. Smells like one of my favourite places. Rotorua

I can also handle a whiff of bromine. Smells like trouble.

diddi - 13-10-2014 at 03:46

lots of organic solvents! my least favourite would be indole, followed by n-butyric acid and t-butanol

Cou - 13-10-2014 at 17:35

I like hydrogen sulfide because it reminds me of garlic... which I love eating raw

Yeah I have a weird taste

Amos - 13-10-2014 at 19:16

Quote: Originally posted by Cou  
I like hydrogen sulfide because it reminds me of garlic... which I love eating raw

Yeah I have a weird taste


I love garlic. Try throwing some in a batch of chocolate chip cookies. It's an experience.

DrMario - 14-10-2014 at 03:06

Eugenol is pleasant.

But also a host of other chemicals present in essential oils.

Jylliana92 - 22-10-2014 at 03:26

Octanol is something i'd never smelled before. I couldn't place it anywhere, but it's special :) ♥

[Edited on 22-10-2014 by Jylliana92]

Amos - 22-10-2014 at 04:08

Quote: Originally posted by Jylliana92  
Octanol is something i'd never smelled before. I couldn't place it anywhere, but it's special :) ♥


Welcome back! Apparently octanol has some pretty nice-smelling esters, too. I need to find some.

Jylliana92 - 22-10-2014 at 10:00

Thanks. With some luck i'll be back on my old account soon.
Bummer it got blocked... shit happens :')

OT:
Today I got an accidental whiff of bromine... ugh.. it was awful >.<

Brain&Force - 22-10-2014 at 10:01

Quote: Originally posted by No Tears Only Dreams Now  
Quote: Originally posted by Cou  
I like hydrogen sulfide because it reminds me of garlic... which I love eating raw

Yeah I have a weird taste


I love garlic. Try throwing some in a batch of chocolate chip cookies. It's an experience.


My mom and dad love pickled garlic and some reason I don't...

Also, my mom and dad love what is known in Farsi as "zereshk" and I also don't like it.

One of the worst smelling things is a mix of copper(II) and iron(II) sulfate.

[Edited on 22.10.2014 by Brain&Force]

Amos - 22-10-2014 at 11:18

Quote: Originally posted by Brain&Force  


One of the worst smelling things is a mix of copper(II) and iron(II) sulfate.

[Edited on 22.10.2014 by Brain&Force]


Now that, I don't understand at all. Iron(II) sulfate has never had much of a smell in my experience, and copper(II) sulfate is only mildly off-putting. Why would this smell so bad?

Metacelsus - 22-10-2014 at 11:45

Do copper and iron sulfates even have a smell? I don't think so -- they are non-volatile. Maybe it comes from inhaling the dust?

My lab has been smelling faintly of almonds for a few days now, due to nitrotoluenes.

[Edited on 22-10-2014 by Cheddite Cheese]

Texium - 22-10-2014 at 14:34

Copper(II) sulfate has no smell to me, but all iron compounds smell awful to me. I don't think that it's the compounds themselves, but rather whatever it is that they make when you touch them, because after touching some iron(II) sulfate once, my hands had a nasty "rusty" smell to them all day afterwards that I couldn't wash off.

Jylliana92 - 22-10-2014 at 21:42
Quote:

The “smell of metal” is actually a body odor caused by contact between skin and metal! We all know that musty smell that metal has, like pennies or other things made of copper, brass, and iron. It is actually caused by human body odor. It isn’t a metal vapor that causes the smell at all. Some researchers treated test subjects’ hands with a ferrous solution composed of iron dust, steel, and cast iron plates. All the subjects recognized the smell on their skin. Researchers then captured the smell and analyzed it with a glass funnel containing extraction fiber. The fiber was analyzed through gas chromatography. They discovered that the metallic smell is actually caused by sweat coming in contact with iron. The sweat actually corrodes the iron which generates reactive ferrous ions that break down lipid peroxides in the skin and creates odorous aldehydes and ketones. So, the smell is actually a reaction with our sweat. Now, when you smell a particularly raunchy jar of pennies, you can imagine all the nasty hands that made it stink so badly. Thanks science.



Source: OMGFacts

Jameson - 23-10-2014 at 00:02

What about damascenones? One drop is very disappointing but if you drop something on yourself and give it time (like overnight) then you'll wake up to the smell of roses. Magic! :D

greenlight - 6-11-2014 at 01:10

Chloroform for sure, and toluene smells slightly appealing sometimes.

gardul - 6-11-2014 at 01:54

I'm ether going to get smacked up side the head or laughed at it.

But I find the smell of acetic acid and small amounts of ammonia rather pleasant. It has that fresh clean smell I guess. No i have worked at a factory in their IT department and they had ammonia leak. no so pleasant...

DrMario - 6-11-2014 at 10:30

Quote: Originally posted by gardul  
I'm ether going to get smacked up side the head or laughed at it.

But I find the smell of acetic acid and small amounts of ammonia rather pleasant. It has that fresh clean smell I guess. No i have worked at a factory in their IT department and they had ammonia leak. no so pleasant...


I think I have an even weirder choice for pleasant smell: small concentration of iodine. I love the smell of iodine. Too bad it's toxic.

gardul - 6-11-2014 at 12:31

Quote: Originally posted by DrMario  
Quote: Originally posted by gardul  
I'm ether going to get smacked up side the head or laughed at it.

But I find the smell of acetic acid and small amounts of ammonia rather pleasant. It has that fresh clean smell I guess. No i have worked at a factory in their IT department and they had ammonia leak. no so pleasant...


I think I have an even weirder choice for pleasant smell: small concentration of iodine. I love the smell of iodine. Too bad it's toxic.


I see my T key was failing me last night.


I never took the time to smell Iodine. I was rather afraid the fumes may turn my nose purple.(jk)

I also like the smell burnt gunpowder...Smokeless . Black powder has a very sulfer smell.

Amos - 6-11-2014 at 13:25

Quote: Originally posted by gardul  

I also like the smell burnt gunpowder...Smokeless . Black powder has a very sulfer smell.


Burning potassium nitrate and sugar together has a nice smell as well, because it essentially very rapidly converts the sugar to caramel (and then burns it).

gardul - 6-11-2014 at 13:36

Quote: Originally posted by No Tears Only Dreams Now  
Quote: Originally posted by gardul  

I also like the smell burnt gunpowder...Smokeless . Black powder has a very sulfer smell.


Burning potassium nitrate and sugar together has a nice smell as well, because it essentially very rapidly converts the sugar to caramel (and then burns it).


I actually did that to show my wife how sugar can be used as a fuel. I didn't do it in large scale so I didn't notice a caramel smell. I might have to try it again.

mr.crow - 6-11-2014 at 20:23

Quote: Originally posted by gardul  

I also like the smell burnt gunpowder...Smokeless . Black powder has a very sulfer smell.


Soviet surplus ammo has a gross sulfur smell and is corrosive. I wonder what its made of?

gardul - 6-11-2014 at 20:34

Quote: Originally posted by mr.crow  
Quote: Originally posted by gardul  

I also like the smell burnt gunpowder...Smokeless . Black powder has a very sulfer smell.


Soviet surplus ammo has a gross sulfur smell and is corrosive. I wonder what its made of?


It's not the powder that is actually corrosive. It the salts in the primer. I can't remember off hand what it is.

subsecret - 7-11-2014 at 17:40

Hydrogen sulfide, chlorine, bromine, toluene, propane, acetone, and vanillin are some of the best that I have smelled.

Iron salts, ammonia, and acetic acid are the worst.

bahamuth - 7-11-2014 at 19:21

A very strange sense of smell, i have been told, is that pyridine and DMSO smells like faintly sour berrries to me, while others chocke on the vapours. I actually have no problem putting my nose down on most amines, besides the most caustic/volatile ones as they do put me off.
The most memorable smell i've ever smelled is an ester which smelled raspberries at low, and pears at high conc. or vica-versa.
I have posted a ester lab sheet somewhere here with descriptions of about 40+ esters in their smells if anyone is interested but is to lazy right now to look for it myself to name the ester.

Sulfuorus and nitrous fumes I'm especially fond of, in addition to the smell of combusted two-stroke oil:)

TGT - 14-11-2014 at 19:13

One of my favorite smells is Chlorobutanol. For some reason it reminds me of antiques or something old. I don't know why, must be something I relate that small to from my past that I enjoyed.

Chloroform is another chemical smell that I love. I sometimes smell it a little too much and get slightly drowsy, but that does not seem to stop me, its the thought of it being possibly cancer causing. Too bad because it smells so good.

I also love the smell of skunk, any one know what chemicals contribute to that scent?

TGT

Etaoin Shrdlu - 14-11-2014 at 19:20

Quote: Originally posted by TGT  
I also love the smell of skunk, any one know what chemicals contribute to that scent?

Thiols and derivatives.

gardul - 14-11-2014 at 20:03

Quote: Originally posted by Etaoin Shrdlu  
Quote: Originally posted by TGT  
I also love the smell of skunk, any one know what chemicals contribute to that scent?

Thiols and derivatives.


And I though I had some odd ones.

Etaoin Shrdlu - 14-11-2014 at 20:18

Quote: Originally posted by gardul  
And I though I had some odd ones.

I also find the smell of skunk quite pleasant in dilution.

DrMario - 15-11-2014 at 08:22

Well, a lot of men, and some women, find vaginal smells to be pleasant. Me.... I'm more of a visual guy when it comes to those things.

Eddygp - 16-11-2014 at 10:23

Among the best are diethyl ether and chloroform. Ethyl acetate is also quite nice. However, I do dislike the smell of toluene.