1-Tetradecanol (CAS 112-72-1) — Citrus Non-olfactive Note Fragrance Ingredient
1-Tetradecanol
CAS 112-72-1
What Is 1-Tetradecanol?
1-Tetradecanol is a fatty alcohol used as an emollient and thickener in cosmetics. You’ll find it in creams, lotions, and hair conditioners. Though odorless itself, it modifies texture and helps other fragrance ingredients adhere to skin. This matters because texture affects scent perception – thicker formulas release fragrance more slowly than thin sprays.
Safety Profile
GENERALLY SAFEWhat Does 1-Tetradecanol Smell Like?
Pure 1-tetradecanol is essentially odorless, functioning as a silent workhorse in formulations. Unlike shorter-chain alcohols that can have waxy or faintly citrusy tones, this C14 alcohol lacks volatile character. Its value lies in modifying the physical behavior of other fragrance materials rather than contributing olfactive notes.
2D Molecular Structure
SMILES: CCCCCCCCCCCCCCO
Chemistry, Properties & Perfumer Guide
The Chemistry
1-Tetradecanol is a straight-chain saturated fatty alcohol with 14 carbon atoms. Industrially produced via hydrogenation of myristic acid or through Ziegler process ethylene oligomerization. As a long-chain alcohol, it exhibits typical amphiphilic properties but with lower water solubility than shorter homologs. The even-numbered carbon chain makes it compatible with biological lipid systems.
Physical & Chemical Properties
| Melting Point | 38-40 °C |
|---|---|
| Boiling Point | 263 °C |
| Flash Point | >110 °C |
Perfumer Guide
| Application | Typical % | Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skin Care | 1-5% | Up to 10% | Provides emolliency |
| Hair Care | 0.5-3% | Up to 5% | Conditioning agent |
Classic Accords
Tip: Use to increase viscosity of ethanol-based fragrances without affecting transparency.
Alternatives & Comparisons
Safety, Regulatory & Sustainability
⚠ Regulatory Disclaimer
General reference only. Consult current IFRA Standards Library before formulating.
IFRA Status
No restrictions under current IFRA standards.
RIFM Assessment
RIFM assessment confirms safety at current use levels.
Sustainability
Primarily synthesized from petrochemical feedstocks though plant-derived versions exist via coconut or palm kernel oil hydrogenation. Biodegradation occurs readily through standard wastewater treatment processes.
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References
- PubChem Compound Summary for CID 8203 PubChem
Data: PubChem (NIH), PubMed, RIFM, IFRA. Last reviewed: Apr 2026.
Report a data errorIngredient Data Sheet
CAS 112-72-1Physical Properties
| Molecular Weight | 214.39 g/mol🔬 PubChem |
| LogP (Octanol-Water) | 6.2🔬 PubChem |
| Boiling Point | 263.2 °C🔬 EPA CompTox |
| Vapor Pressure | 0.0001 mmHg @ 25°C📊 OPERA |
| Flash Point | 140.6 °C🔬 EPA CompTox |
| log Kp (skin permeability) | 0.394💻 Calculated |
| SMILES | CCCCCCCCCCCCCCO🔬 PubChem |
Volatility & Performance
| Fragrance Note | Base💻 Calculated |
| Volatility Class | Very slow💻 Calculated |
| Persistence Score | 10.8 / 5💻 Calculated |
Odor & Flavor
| Primary Descriptors | fatty• leffingwell |
| Functional Groups | alcohol💻 RDKit |
| “the Myristic alcohol is not of high grade, there will be a problem of compensating for the odor of that ingredient, since the amount of Myristic alcohol in the cosmetic product will be many times higher than that of perfume.”📖 Arctander | |
Sensory Thresholds
| Odor Detection Threshold | 4.5122 ppm (n=2)📖 van Gemert |
Physical data: PubChem (NIH/NLM), U.S. EPA CompTox Dashboard, EPA OPERA models, RDKit. Odor & flavor: Arctander (Perfume & Flavor Chemicals), Fenaroli's Handbook of Flavor Ingredients, Leffingwell. Thresholds: van Gemert (Compilations of Odour Threshold Values). Regulatory: IFRA Standards 51st, FEMA GRAS. Trade names: Surburg (Common Fragrance & Flavor Materials). All data compiled and cross-referenced for perfumertools.com.
Physicochemical Properties
DTXSID: DTXSID9026926
Physical Properties
| Molecular Weight | 214.393 g/mol🔬 EPA CompTox |
| Density | 0.839 g/cm^3🔬 EPA CTX |
| Boiling Point | 284.028 °C🔬 EPA CTX |
| Melting Point | 39.091 °C🔬 EPA CTX |
| Flash Point | 144.362 °C🔬 EPA CTX |
| Refractive Index | 1.445 Dimensionless📊 OPERA |
| Molar Volume | 257.136 cm^3/mol📊 OPERA |
Partition & Solubility
| LogP (Octanol-Water) | 6.062 Log10 unitless🔬 EPA CTX |
| LogD (pH 5.5) | 6.198 Log10 unitless📊 OPERA |
| LogD (pH 7.4) | 6.198 Log10 unitless📊 OPERA |
| LogKoa (Octanol-Air) | 9 Log10 unitless📊 OPERA |
| Water Solubility | 0 mol/L🔬 EPA CTX |
| Henry's Law Constant | 0 atm-m3/mole🔬 EPA CTX |
Transport Properties
| Vapor Pressure | 0 mmHg🔬 EPA CTX |
| Viscosity | 16.461 cP📊 OPERA |
| Surface Tension | 29.914 dyn/cm📊 OPERA |
| Thermal Conductivity | 156.135 mW/(m*K)📊 OPERA |
Molecular Descriptors
| Topological Polar Surface Area | 20.23 Ų💻 Computed |
| H-Bond Donors | 1 count💻 Computed |
| H-Bond Acceptors | 1 count💻 Computed |
| Rotatable Bonds | 12 count💻 Computed |
| Aromatic Rings | 0 count💻 Computed |
| Molar Refractivity | 68.444 cm^3/mol📊 OPERA |
| Polarizability | 27.133 Å^3📊 OPERA |
Data Sources:
🔬 EPA Experimental data from U.S. EPA CompTox Chemicals Dashboard & CTX APIs. 📊 OPERA Predicted using EPA's OPERA QSAR models. 💻 Computed Calculated from SMILES using RDKit.
