ISOAMYL ACETATE
what is ISOAMYL ACETATE?
Synthetic Ingredient For Perfumery Overview
Isoamyl acetate, also known as isopentyl acetate, is an organic compound that is the ester formed from isoamyl alcohol and acetic acid.
It is a colorless liquid that is only slightly soluble in water, but very soluble in most organic solvents. Isoamyl acetate has a strong odor which is also described as similar to both banana and pear.
Pure isoamyl acetate or mixtures of isoamyl acetate, amyl acetate, and other flavors may be referred to as Banana oil (very careful with this sentence).
See The chemistry of banana for a deep dive into formulation evolution
Discovery
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Natural Occurrence
Isopentyl acetate occurs naturally in the banana plant and it is also produced synthetically.
Profile
📂 CAS N° 123-92-2
⚖️ MW — 130.18 g/mol
📝 Odor Type – Fruity.
📈 Odor Strength –High, recommended smelling at 1% sol. Stays 4hrs on paper at full concentration.
👃🏼 Odor Profile – sweet banana fruity ripe estery, solvent. Heady.
👅 Flavor Profile – banana, sweet, fruity, banana.
⚗️ Uses – Alcoholic Beverages, Apple, Apricot, Banana, Cherry, Chocolate, Cocoa, Dairy Products, Hard Fruits, Soft Fruits.
Recommended limit at 25% in the fragrance formula.
Production
Isoamyl acetate is prepared by the acid-catalyzed reaction (Fischer esterification) between isoamyl alcohol and glacial acetic acid as shown in the reaction equation below. Typically, sulfuric acid is used as the catalyst. Alternatively, p-toluenesulfonic acid or an acidic ion exchange resin can be used as the catalyst.
Fischer esterification between isoamyl alcohol and glacial acetic acid.
Other Uses
It is also used as a solvent for some varnishes and nitrocellulose lacquers. As a solvent and carrier for materials such as nitrocellulose, it was extensively used in the aircraft industry for stiffening and wind-proofing fabric flying surfaces, where it and its derivatives were generally known as ‘aircraft dope’. Now that most aircraft are all-metal, such use is now mostly limited to historically accurate reproductions and scale models.
Notes:
Because of its intense, pleasant odor and its low toxicity, Isopentyl acetate is used to test the effectiveness of respirators or gas masks. It is also used in thermometers.
Isopentyl acetate is released by a honey bee’s sting apparatus where it serves as a pheromone beacon to attract other bees and provoke them to sting.
Sources:
Perfume and Flavor Chemicals, Steffen Arctander
Common fragrance and flavor materials, Kurt Bauer, Dorothea Garbe, Horst surburg
National Center for Biotechnology Information (2020). PubChem Compound Summary for CID 31276, Isoamyl acetate. Retrieved November 24, 2020 from https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Isoamyl-acetate.