Dihexyl fumarate (CAS 19139-31-2) — Green Base Note Fragrance Ingredient
Dihexyl fumarate
CAS 19139-31-2
What Is Dihexyl fumarate?
Dihexyl fumarate is a synthetic fragrance ingredient used as a fixative in perfumes and personal care products. It helps stabilize volatile scent compounds, making fragrances last longer on skin. While not a dominant scent itself, this ingredient plays a crucial supporting role in modern perfumery by extending the life of more delicate top notes.
Safety Profile
USE WITH AWARENESSWhat Does Dihexyl fumarate Smell Like?
Dihexyl fumarate presents as nearly odorless in pure form, functioning primarily as a fixative rather than a scent contributor. At high concentrations, it may exhibit a faint waxy-green character reminiscent of fresh plant stems. Its true value lies in its ability to subtly round out harsh edges in fragrance compositions while increasing longevity, behaving like an invisible scaffold that supports more volatile notes without altering their character.
In Famous Fragrances
Fragrance associations may not reflect actual formulations.
Used as part of a proprietary fixative system to extend the dry-down of citrus and aquatic notes in modern fresh fragrances without adding weight or altering scent profiles.
2D Molecular Structure
SMILES: CCCCCCOC(=O)\C=C\C(=O)OCCCCCC
Chemistry, Properties & Perfumer Guide
The Chemistry
Dihexyl fumarate belongs to the ester class, synthesized through esterification of fumaric acid with hexanol. As a diester, it exhibits greater stability than monoesters. The trans-configuration of the fumarate moiety contributes to its rigidity and low volatility. Industrial production typically employs acid-catalyzed reactions under controlled conditions to achieve high purity.
Physical & Chemical Properties
| Appearance | Colorless liquid |
|---|---|
| Function | Fixative/Stabilizer |
Perfumer Guide
| Application | Typical % | Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fine Fragrance | 0.5-2% | Up to 5% | Fixative component |
| Functional Fragrances | 1-3% | Up to 8% | Stabilizer for volatile compounds |
Classic Accords
Tip: Use as a background fixative at 0.5-1% to extend fresh top notes without altering their character.
Alternatives & Comparisons
Shorter-chain version with slightly higher volatility, useful when moderate fixation is needed without excessive weight.
Safety, Regulatory & Sustainability
⚠ Regulatory Disclaimer
General reference only. Consult current IFRA Standards Library before formulating.
IFRA Status
No IFRA restrictions currently apply to dihexyl fumarate (as of 2023).
RIFM Assessment
Not currently evaluated by RIFM due to low exposure levels in finished products.
Sustainability
As a fully synthetic material, dihexyl fumarate production doesn’t impact natural resources. The manufacturing process can be optimized for atom economy, though hexanol feedstock typically derives from petrochemical sources. Future bio-based routes using fermented hexanol may improve sustainability.
Explore Dihexyl fumarate
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References
- Bauer et al. (2001). Common Fragrance and Flavor Materials. Wiley-VCH. ISBN 9783527306276
Data: PubChem (NIH), PubMed, RIFM, IFRA. Last reviewed: Apr 2026.
Report a data errorIngredient Data Sheet
CAS 19139-31-2Physical Properties
| Molecular Weight | 284.39 g/mol🔬 PubChem |
| LogP (Octanol-Water) | 4.9🔬 PubChem |
| Boiling Point | 322 °C🔬 EPA CompTox |
| Vapor Pressure | 0.0002 mmHg @ 25°C📊 OPERA |
| Flash Point | 178 °C🔬 EPA CompTox |
| log Kp (skin permeability) | -0.956💻 Calculated |
| SMILES | CCCCCCOC(=O)C=CC(=O)OCCCCCC🔬 PubChem |
Volatility & Performance
| Fragrance Note | Base💻 Calculated |
| Volatility Class | Very slow💻 Calculated |
| Persistence Score | 9.5 / 5💻 Calculated |
Odor & Flavor
| Primary Descriptors | greenwoody• leffingwell |
| Functional Groups | esteretheralkene💻 RDKit |
| “This ester has found use in perfumery for its effect which resembles that of the Tiglic and Angelic esters of Amyl- and Hexyl alcohols. It has warm, herbaceous-winey, slightly green and quite tenacious odor of versatile use in perfumery.”📖 Arctander | |
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: DTXSID00893393
Physical Properties
| Molecular Weight | 284.396 g/mol🔬 EPA CompTox |
| Density | 0.95 g/cm^3🔬 EPA CTX |
| Boiling Point | 336.635 °C📊 OPERA |
| Melting Point | 10 °C🔬 EPA CTX |
| Flash Point | 178 °C🔬 EPA CTX |
| Refractive Index | 1.456 Dimensionless📊 OPERA |
| Molar Volume | 293.222 cm^3/mol📊 OPERA |
Partition & Solubility
| LogP (Octanol-Water) | 4.869 Log10 unitless📊 OPERA |
| LogD (pH 5.5) | 4.869 Log10 unitless📊 OPERA |
| LogD (pH 7.4) | 4.869 Log10 unitless📊 OPERA |
| LogKoa (Octanol-Air) | 8.52 Log10 unitless📊 OPERA |
| Water Solubility | 0 mol/L🔬 EPA CTX |
| Henry's Law Constant | 0 atm-m3/mole📊 OPERA |
Transport Properties
| Vapor Pressure | 0 mmHg🔬 EPA CTX |
| Surface Tension | 32.382 dyn/cm📊 OPERA |
Molecular Descriptors
| Topological Polar Surface Area | 52.6 Ų💻 Computed |
| H-Bond Donors | 0 count💻 Computed |
| H-Bond Acceptors | 4 count💻 Computed |
| Rotatable Bonds | 12 count💻 Computed |
| Aromatic Rings | 0 count💻 Computed |
| Molar Refractivity | 79.782 cm^3/mol📊 OPERA |
| Polarizability | 31.628 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.
