Isopatchoul-3-ene (CAS 3724-42-3) is a sesquiterpene hydrocarbon found in patchouli oil, used primarily in perfumery to impart and fine-tune woody, earthy, patchouli-like notes in fine fragrances, personal care products (soaps, shampoos, creams), household cleaners, and air care; owing to its odor persistence and good compatibility with resinous, amber, and citrus materials, it acts as a base-note contributor and diffusion enhancer, and is also employed during fractionation to standardize the olfactory profile of natural patchouli; in laboratories it serves as a GC–MS reference/marker for authenticity testing and adulteration detection of essential oils, as a model substrate to study sesquiterpene oxidation and formulation stability, and occasionally as a structural scaffold for derivatization to create new aroma ingredients; additionally, exploratory studies have examined potential antimicrobial, insect-repellent, or antioxidant activities, but such uses require further validation and adherence to safety and regulatory frameworks (e.g., IFRA, REACH) before commercialization.
