molecule
Dodecanal (Aldehyde C-12)
C12H24O
Origin
A synthetic saturated aliphatic aldehyde with a twelve-carbon chain, manufactured industrially. It is found in trace quantities in some citrus and pine oils.
The smell
A waxy, floral-aldehyde with a soapy, violet-leaf and faintly citrus character. Less sharp than C-10, it has a smoother, more powdery diffusion that recalls clean linen and lilac. The lingering impression is of soft soap and ironed cotton.
Key quality
Its higher molecular weight gives it greater substantivity and a softer, more powdery soapiness than the shorter-chain aldehydes.
Historical use
Along with C-10 and C-11, dodecanal was a component of the aldehydic top accord that defined Chanel No. 5 from its 1921 creation, establishing a template imitated across 20th-century floral aldehydes.