Behind the chemical name 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde lies one of the most important flavorings in our everyday lives: vanillin. The substance exudes an unmistakable, intense vanilla scent, whose influence on our perceptions and decisions is often underestimated. Most people are familiar with the smell of vanillin and generally find it pleasant. It subconsciously evokes a feeling of security and home – shaped by the widespread use of vanillin in foods that accompany us from early childhood.

Thanks to these positive associations, vanillin is one of the most important fragrances when it comes to influencing our behavior – whether it's to create incentives to buy or to evoke memories of happy moments.

However, since the demand for vanillin from natural sources (vanilla beans) cannot be met, various multi-stage synthesis processes have been developed to extract vanillin from petroleum. To reduce dependence on fossil resources and at the same time create cost-effective alternatives, vanillin can even be obtained electrochemically from waste streams of the pulp industry. This innovative electrochemical lignin degradation replaces older processes based on heavy metals and represents a significant step towards sustainable biorefineries.

In our keynote lecture, given by our director Prof. Siegfried R. Waldvogel, we not only want to introduce you to the fascinating world of vanillin, but also present innovative approaches to using electrochemistry to extract valuable substances for our daily lives from waste streams that would otherwise only be incinerated. In this way, we actively contribute to reducing our dependence on fossil carbon sources.

What can you expect?

Scientific insights: Find out how vanillin is structured and how it can be produced synthetically. Get to know similar aromatic compounds.

Practical applications: Discover how vanillin is used in various foods and other products and how scent influences our perceptions and decisions.

Interactive tasting: Enjoy vanilla in various forms and products during a guided tasting session. Experience vanillin and related flavors with all your senses. During a tasting, you will have the opportunity to learn what the world would taste like without vanillin and the importance of this fragrance for our quality of life.

Discussion at eye level: Get in touch with our scientists. Ask your questions and exchange ideas with our experts.

Whether you are a student, connoisseur, or just a vanilla lover, this lecture offers you valuable information and exciting perspectives. Let yourself be inspired by the versatility and importance of vanillin!

The lecture will take place on 23.01.25 at 6:00 pm at the MPI CEC. The number of seats is limited, so we recommend registering early from Thursday, January 9, 2025 at 9:30 a.m. exclusively at the following link: https://plan.events.mpg.de/e/meet-the-scientist-vanillin
Please note that the lecture will be held in German.

With the lecture series “Meet the Scientist”, we would like to give you the opportunity to regularly explore the fascinating world of science and to get in touch directly with leading researchers at the MPI CEC. Look forward to further exciting events where we will offer you insights into our current research projects and show you how science is shaping our future.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the research communication team at info@cec.mpg.de.

Let yourself be inspired by science and experience how chemistry comes to life!

We look forward to an exciting evening with you!