Brahmanol

Synthetic Ingredient Overview

• 🔎 Chemical name — 2-Methyl-4-(2,2,3-trimethyl-3-cyclopentenyl)butan-1-ol

• 🏭 Manufacturer — Symrise

• 🧪 Synonyms — Brahmanol™, tertiary sandalwood alcohol

• 🧬 Chemical Formula — C₁₃H₂₄O

• 📂 CAS N° — 72089-08-8

• ⚖️ MW — 196.33 g/mol

• 📝 Odor type — Woody, Sandalwood

• 📈 Odor Strength — High

• 👃🏼 Odor Profile — Creamy, warm sandalwood; soft musky base, faint herbal and waxy nuances

• ⚗️ Uses — Sandalwood accords, modern woods, creamy florals, amber-musk structures; used up to 10% in fine fragrance concentrates

• 🧴 Appearance — Clear, colorless liquid

What is Brahmanol?

Brahmanol is a synthetic aliphatic tertiary alcohol, created to replicate and modernize the scent of natural sandalwood oil, which has faced sustainability and regulatory constraints. Introduced by Symrise, it belongs to a new generation of sustainable woody materials, integrating partial bio-based feedstocks into high-performance molecules. It features a substituted cyclopentyl backbone, which offers oxidative stability and long-lasting character in both alcohol- and oil-based systems. Its molecular structure enhances resistance to degradation and improves compatibility in cosmetics and functional fragrance products.

Olfactory Profile and Perfumery Applications

Brahmanol's scent is elegant and highly diffusive, offering:

• Primary facets: Creamy, woody, true sandalwood character

• Secondary facets: Slightly herbal, waxy, with a powdery-musky softness

Its performance includes:

• Excellent substantivity on skin

• Rounded diffusion in fine fragrance

• Compatibility with musks, florals, lactones and ambers

Key Applications:

• Sandalwood core in woody or ambery accords

• Creamy floral structures (tuberose, jasmine, ylang)

• Fougère or chypre reworks with a modern woody twist

• Amber-musk bases as a soft structural connector

Typical usage is 0.5–10%, depending on composition weight and desired volume. It excels in creating smooth woody textures, without the aggressive sharpness of some synthetic sandalwood molecules.

Industrial and Technical Uses

Outside fine fragrance, Brahmanol performs well in:

• Fabric softeners and soaps — stable under moderate surfactants

• Alcoholic sprays — excellent bloom and tenacity

• Candles and air care — heat stable, long diffusion

Its boiling point (~273°C) and log P value (4.73) suggest good performance across media, although acidic environments or aggressive surfactants may reduce its longevity.

Shelf life: 24 months in sealed, cool storage.

Regulatory and Safety Overview

• IFRA Status — ✅ Not restricted (IFRA 51st Amendment)

• EU Allergen List — ❌ Not present among the 26 declarable substances

• REACH — Registered and compliant under European regulation

• GHS Hazard Class —

  • H411: Toxic to aquatic life with long-lasting effects

• Skin Sensitization — Not classified as a sensitizer

• Recommended usage — Up to 10% in fragrance concentrate

• Photoallergenicity & Mutagenicity — None reported at standard dosage

Always handle under GMP and SDS guidelines. Brahmanol is considered safe for dermal use within conventional perfumery concentrations.

Environmental & Sustainability Aspects

• Renewable Carbon Content — 69.2% (Symrise, 2022)

• Biodegradability — Readily biodegradable

• Ecotoxicology — Toxic to aquatic life (long-term); use in compliance with effluent regulations

• Sourcing — Part of Symrise's Green Chemistry initiative, aiming to reduce the footprint of high-impact fragrance materials

Use of Brahmanol supports conservation by reducing demand for endangered sandalwood species (Santalum albumand Santalum spicatum), making it a preferred modern alternative in ethical perfumery.

Sources

• Symrise (2022). Brahmanol – Product Sheet & Regulatory Data

• ECHA (2024). Substance Information for CAS 72089-08-8

• IFRA (2023). Standards 51st Amendment

• Surburg, H. & Panten, J. (2016). Common Fragrance and Flavor Materials

• Scentspiracy Archives – Synthetic Woody Compounds