alpha-Kessyl alcohol

Overview IFRA Botanical Request a quote

  • Identifiers

    CAS number
    3321-65-1

    Molecular formula
    C15H26O2

    SMILES
    CC1CC(C2C1CC3CCC2(OC3(C)C)C)O

  • Odor profile

    Herbal 71.26%
    Mint 62.22%
    Woody 54.86%
    Camphoreous 54.34%
    Cooling 50.49%
    Fresh 47.35%
    Spicy 47.03%
    Pine 46.81%
    Earthy 45.13%
    Sweet 42.42%

    Scent© AI

  • Properties

    XLogP3-AA
    2.6

    Molecular weight
    238.37 g/mol

    Vapor pressure est.

    • hPa @ 20°C
    • hPa @ 25°C

    Evaporation rate
    Very slow

    Melting point expt.

    • 85 - 86 °C

    Boiling point

    • 300.00 to 302.00 °C. @ 760.00 mm Hg

    Flash point est.
    152.86 ˚C

  • Synonyms

    • alpha-Kessyl alcohol
    • Kessyl alcohol
    • .alpha.-Kessyl alcohol
    • 3321-65-1
    • a-Kessyl alcohol
    • DTXSID70312561
    • ZADVMZUKWWMSLQ-UHFFFAOYSA-N
    • NSC258305
    • NSC-258305
    • Q67879676
    • 1,5,9,9-tetramethyl-10-oxatricyclo[6.2.2.0^{2,6}]dodecan-3-ol

  • Applications

    Alpha-kessyl alcohol (CAS 3321-65-1) is a natural sesquiterpene alcohol with a woody, earthy, vetiver-like odor; it is used primarily as a fragrance ingredient in fine perfumery and personal care to build long-lasting base notes, enhance substantivity, and act as a fixative in woody–amber, chypre, and fougère accords, while adding depth to sandalwood, patchouli, and vetiver themes; in home and fabric care fragrances (soaps, detergents, softeners, candles, reed diffusers) it imparts a warm, dry character with good fiber substantivity; in analysis and quality control of vetiver oil, α-kessyl alcohol is employed as a marker/reference standard for GC–MS and GC–O to aid identification, quantitation, and authentication; in fragrance R&D it serves as a versatile sesquiterpene scaffold for preparing derivatives, studying structure–odor relationships, and optimizing performance, stability, and formulation compatibility; these uses are implemented under IFRA safety guidance and relevant cosmetic regulations, with typically low dosage due to its high odor impact and persistence.

  • Solubility @25˚C

    Solvent Solubility (g/L)
    ethanol 123.26
    methanol 231.47
    isopropanol 92.42
    water 11.27
    ethyl acetate 175.84
    n-propanol 120.54
    acetone 187.15
    n-butanol 90.67
    acetonitrile 144.79
    DMF 344.1
    toluene 214.38
    isobutanol 98.9
    1,4-dioxane 425.48
    methyl acetate 202.88
    THF 672.74
    2-butanone 185.41
    n-pentanol 67.74
    sec-butanol 78.16
    n-hexane 12.05
    ethylene glycol 76.56
    NMP 447.66
    cyclohexane 45.94
    DMSO 271.23
    n-butyl acetate 162.61
    n-octanol 82.17
    chloroform 749.38
    n-propyl acetate 120.35
    acetic acid 225.38
    dichloromethane 560.84
    cyclohexanone 400.19
    propylene glycol 70.68
    isopropyl acetate 132.6
    DMAc 294.31
    2-ethoxyethanol 122.86
    isopentanol 80.65
    n-heptane 19.78
    ethyl formate 152.43
    1,2-dichloroethane 231.87
    n-hexanol 129.67
    2-methoxyethanol 212.14
    isobutyl acetate 117.92
    tetrachloromethane 121.84
    n-pentyl acetate 137.34
    transcutol 297.58
    n-heptanol 89.25
    ethylbenzene 88.53
    MIBK 108.5
    2-propoxyethanol 235.29
    tert-butanol 91.1
    MTBE 83.07
    2-butoxyethanol 151.9
    propionic acid 180.62
    o-xylene 125.72
    formic acid 125.47
    diethyl ether 102.56
    m-xylene 143.13
    p-xylene 124.64
    chlorobenzene 247.1
    dimethyl carbonate 129.45
    n-octane 10.18
    formamide 132.98
    cyclopentanone 465.44
    2-pentanone 134.23
    anisole 137.31
    cyclopentyl methyl ether 234.3
    gamma-butyrolactone 576.99
    1-methoxy-2-propanol 162.62
    pyridine 393.54
    3-pentanone 136.63
    furfural 449.84
    n-dodecane 11.2
    diethylene glycol 211.55
    diisopropyl ether 48.64
    tert-amyl alcohol 73.63
    acetylacetone 208.94
    n-hexadecane 13.1
    acetophenone 155.61
    methyl propionate 171.44
    isopentyl acetate 163.1
    trichloroethylene 501.95
    n-nonanol 75.48
    cyclohexanol 147.61
    benzyl alcohol 139.87
    2-ethylhexanol 90.39
    isooctanol 74.75
    dipropyl ether 92.17
    1,2-dichlorobenzene 214.27
    ethyl lactate 95.69
    propylene carbonate 327.29
    n-methylformamide 202.73
    2-pentanol 58.63
    n-pentane 15.58
    1-propoxy-2-propanol 154.88
    1-methoxy-2-propyl acetate 198.01
    2-(2-methoxypropoxy) propanol 140.32
    mesitylene 88.49
    ε-caprolactone 354.11
    p-cymene 82.07
    epichlorohydrin 439.35
    1,1,1-trichloroethane 253.67
    2-aminoethanol 105.32
    morpholine-4-carbaldehyde 439.59
    sulfolane 507.06
    2,2,4-trimethylpentane 11.94
    2-methyltetrahydrofuran 327.33
    n-hexyl acetate 173.78
    isooctane 10.57
    2-(2-butoxyethoxy)ethanol 165.12
    sec-butyl acetate 97.93
    tert-butyl acetate 127.19
    decalin 25.6
    glycerin 128.19
    diglyme 296.88
    acrylic acid 196.87
    isopropyl myristate 80.13
    n-butyric acid 185.01
    acetyl acetate 175.38
    di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate 99.73
    ethyl propionate 117.3
    nitromethane 352.23
    1,2-diethoxyethane 120.68
    benzonitrile 210.94
    trioctyl phosphate 77.74
    1-bromopropane 135.63
    gamma-valerolactone 598.53
    n-decanol 58.66
    triethyl phosphate 89.98
    4-methyl-2-pentanol 51.31
    propionitrile 140.21
    vinylene carbonate 359.44
    1,1,2-trichlorotrifluoroethane 281.27
    DMS 190.76
    cumene 70.59
    2-octanol 59.79
    2-hexanone 103.72
    octyl acetate 100.18
    limonene 94.66
    1,2-dimethoxyethane 218.81
    ethyl orthosilicate 80.38
    tributyl phosphate 86.84
    diacetone alcohol 130.19
    N,N-dimethylaniline 101.75
    acrylonitrile 190.8
    aniline 181.42
    1,3-propanediol 118.32
    bromobenzene 271.17
    dibromomethane 340.23
    1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane 357.95
    2-methyl-cyclohexyl acetate 138.41
    tetrabutyl urea 100.43
    diisobutyl methanol 58.79
    2-phenylethanol 171.49
    styrene 101.82
    dioctyl adipate 114.4
    dimethyl sulfate 201.52
    ethyl butyrate 126.01
    methyl lactate 122.75
    butyl lactate 123.09
    diethyl carbonate 105.03
    propanediol butyl ether 127.62
    triethyl orthoformate 105.79
    p-tert-butyltoluene 78.06
    methyl 4-tert-butylbenzoate 164.08
    morpholine 352.0
    tert-butylamine 62.56
    n-dodecanol 47.48
    dimethoxymethane 238.94
    ethylene carbonate 290.32
    cyrene 176.14
    2-ethoxyethyl acetate 186.52
    2-ethylhexyl acetate 144.44
    1,2,4-trichlorobenzene 250.81
    4-methylpyridine 320.87
    dibutyl ether 69.74
    2,6-dimethyl-4-heptanol 58.79
    DEF 165.19
    dimethyl isosorbide 262.37
    tetrachloroethylene 259.03
    eugenol 157.45
    triacetin 194.22
    span 80 144.73
    1,4-butanediol 60.8
    1,1-dichloroethane 227.93
    2-methyl-1-pentanol 70.03
    methyl formate 211.48
    2-methyl-1-butanol 80.54
    n-decane 17.88
    butyronitrile 114.95
    3,7-dimethyl-1-octanol 75.53
    1-chlorooctane 60.47
    1-chlorotetradecane 29.92
    n-nonane 15.9
    undecane 13.71
    tert-butylcyclohexane 20.41
    cyclooctane 19.29
    cyclopentanol 188.53
    tetrahydropyran 324.86
    tert-amyl methyl ether 75.1
    2,5,8-trioxanonane 220.12
    1-hexene 37.63
    2-isopropoxyethanol 97.87
    2,2,2-trifluoroethanol 128.65
    methyl butyrate 136.43

    Scent© AI

1 4

IFRA standard 51

Recommendation
No restriction
Maximum acceptable concentrations in the finished product (%)
Category 1
Products applied to the lips
 No restriction Category 7A
Rinse-off products applied to the hair with some hand contact
 No restriction
Category 2
Products applied to the axillae
 No restriction Category 7B
Leave-on products applied to the hair with some hand contact
 No restriction
Category 3
Products applied to the face/body using fingertips
 No restriction Category 8
Products with significant anogenital exposure
 No restriction
Category 4
Products related to fine fragrance
 No restriction Category 9
Products with body and hand exposure, primarily rinse off
 No restriction
Category 5A
Body lotion products applied to the body using the hands (palms), primarily leave on
 No restriction Category 10A
Household care products with mostly hand contact
 No restriction
Category 5B
Face moisturizer products applied to the face using the hands (palms), primarily leave on
 No restriction Category 10B
Household care products with mostly hand contact, including aerosol/spray products (with potential leave-on skin contact)
 No restriction
Category 5C
Hand cream products applied to the hands using the hands (palms), primarily leave on
 No restriction Category 11A
Products with intended skin contact but minimal transfer of fragrance to skin from inert substrate without UV exposure
 No restriction
Category 5D
Baby Creams, baby Oils and baby talc
 No restriction Category 11B
Products with intended skin contact but minimal transfer of fragrance to skin from inert substrate with potential UV exposure
 No restriction
Category 6
Products with oral and lip exposure
 No restriction Category 12
Products not intended for direct skin contact, minimal or insignificant transfer to skin
 No restriction

Botanical

Name CAS Botanical Proportion
Valerian, root 8008-88-6 Valeriana officinalis L., fam. Valerianaceae 10.0%
Valeriana javanica root (Indonesia) Valeriana javanica Blume, fam. Valerianaceae 0.8%