Approaches to Commercial Sandalwood Odorants from Renewable Sources

The rich chemistry of East Indian Sandalwood oil has fascinated chemists for over a century. Whilst the synthesis on industrial scale of the principal odour vector (–)‐(Z)‐β‐Santalol 2, has resisted all attempts to date, many closely related fragrant sandalwood ingredients have been discovered and manufactured on industrial scale. This precious wood is still listed as endangered and appears on the CITES red list, despite an increased number of plantations being developed. This review will focus on the interesting chemistry of Santalum album (Linn.) essential oil and the subsequent efforts by researchers to find a viable substitute for this highly appreciated oil both by investigating novel structures and using biotech approaches. The emphasis will be on the approaches to these highly appreciated odorants made from renewable resources that are currently manufactured on multi‐MT scale. Lesser emphasis will be placed on close structural analogues that have not been commercially successful.