Ethyl 3-hydroxy-3-phenylpropionate (CAS 5764-85-2) — Sweet Heart Note Fragrance Ingredient
Ethyl 3-hydroxy-3-phenylpropionate
CAS 5764-85-2
What Is Ethyl 3-hydroxy-3-phenylpropionate?
Ethyl 3-hydroxy-3-phenylpropionate is a synthetic fragrance ingredient used in perfumes and personal care products to add sweet, floral, and fruity nuances. You’ll encounter it in body lotions, shampoos, and fine fragrances. This versatile material helps create long-lasting, balanced compositions by bridging top and heart notes with its pleasant, slightly honeyed character.
Safety Profile
GENERALLY SAFEWhat Does Ethyl 3-hydroxy-3-phenylpropionate Smell Like?
Ethyl 3-hydroxy-3-phenylpropionate unfolds with an initial burst of ripe strawberries dipped in honey, transitioning to a heart of rose petals dusted with powdered sugar. The dry-down reveals a subtle balsamic warmth reminiscent of benzoin resin, with a persistent sweet-floral character that lingers like the memory of summer fruit. Its medium volatility allows it to perform as both a modifier for top notes and a supporting player in floral bouquets.
In Famous Fragrances
Fragrance associations may not reflect actual formulations.
Used as a fruity-floral bridge between the apricot top notes and rose heart, contributing to the fragrance’s signature ‘sunlit’ sweetness.
Enhances the peachy rose accord while preventing excessive powderiness in the dry-down.
Provides subtle fruity facets that complement the aquatic floral theme without overwhelming the freshness.
Helps create the juicy grapefruit-quince opening while smoothing the transition to the floral heart.
Contributes to the gourmand-floral harmony by adding a candied fruit nuance to the iris-patchouli base.
2D Molecular Structure
SMILES: CCOC(=O)CC(O)C1=CC=CC=C1
Chemistry, Properties & Perfumer Guide
The Chemistry
This ester belongs to the class of aryl-substituted hydroxypropionates, synthesized through the esterification of 3-hydroxy-3-phenylpropionic acid with ethanol. While not found in nature, its structural relatives appear in some fruit volatiles. Industrial production typically involves catalytic hydrogenation of ethyl cinnamate followed by controlled oxidation. The chiral center at the 3-position gives rise to potential stereoisomers, though most commercial material is racemic.
Physical & Chemical Properties
| Appearance | Colorless to pale yellow liquid |
|---|---|
| Boiling Point | ~250 °C (estimated) |
| Density | ~1.1 g/cm³ (estimated) |
| Refractive Index | ~1.51 (estimated) |
Perfumer Guide
| Application | Typical % | Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fine Fragrance | 1-5% | Up to 8% | Sweet-floral modifier |
| Body Care | 0.5-2% | Up to 3% | Adds fruity sophistication |
| Home Fragrance | 0.1-1% | Up to 2% | Sweetness enhancer |
| Soap | 0.2-1.5% | Up to 3% | Stable in alkaline systems |
Classic Accords
Tip: Use at 0.5-1% in chypre bases to soften harsh oakmoss effects while maintaining structure.
Alternatives & Comparisons
More honeyed with less fruitiness; better for heavy oriental compositions where a richer sweetness is needed.
For cleaner rose effects without the fruity-balsamic facets, when a more straightforward floral is desired.
When pure sugar-candy effects are needed without floral interference, though much more potent in dosage.
Safety, Regulatory & Sustainability
⚠ Regulatory Disclaimer
General reference only. Consult current IFRA Standards Library before formulating.
IFRA Status
Not currently restricted under IFRA standards. Listed on IFRA Transparency List with no usage limitations.
RIFM Assessment
Under review by RIFM as of 2023; preliminary data suggests low sensitization potential.
Sustainability
As a synthetic material, production avoids agricultural land use but requires petrochemical feedstocks. Green chemistry approaches are being explored using bio-based phenyl precursors. The ester’s stability contributes to fragrance longevity, potentially reducing reapplication frequency in end products.
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References
- Burdock, G.A. (2010). Fenaroli’s Handbook of Flavor Ingredients. CRC Press. ISBN 9781439847503
- IFRA Standards Library (2023). 49th Amendment. IFRA Standards
Data: PubChem (NIH), PubMed, RIFM, IFRA. Last reviewed: Apr 2026.
Report a data errorIngredient Data Sheet
CAS 5764-85-2Physical Properties
| Molecular Weight | 194.23 g/mol🔬 PubChem |
| LogP (Octanol-Water) | 1.3🔬 PubChem |
| Boiling Point | 268 °C🔬 EPA CompTox |
| Vapor Pressure | 0 mmHg @ 25°C📊 OPERA |
| Flash Point | 132.6 °C🔬 EPA CompTox |
| log Kp (skin permeability) | -2.962💻 Calculated |
| SMILES | CCOC(=O)CC(C1=CC=CC=C1)O🔬 PubChem |
Volatility & Performance
| Fragrance Note | Base💻 Calculated |
| Volatility Class | Very slow💻 Calculated |
| Persistence Score | 6.7 / 5💻 Calculated |
Odor & Flavor
| Primary Descriptors | floralsweet• leffingwell |
| Functional Groups | esteralcoholetheraromatic💻 RDKit |
| “Sweet-balsamic, fruity and slightly floral, See also: Ethyl benzyl acetoacstate, and herbaaous, warm odor, reminiscent of the Ethyl benzoyl acetate. 5-313; powerful animat-tarry odor, in extreme di. 1274: alpha-ETHYL IONONE 6-(2.6.6-Trimethyl-2-cyclohexcn-l-yl)-5- Pleasant, warm-woody, powdery type odor.”📖 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: DTXSID2052239
Physical Properties
| Molecular Weight | 194.23 g/mol🔬 EPA CompTox |
| Density | 1.108 g/cm^3📊 OPERA |
| Boiling Point | 286.366 °C📊 OPERA |
| Melting Point | 49.912 °C📊 OPERA |
| Flash Point | 133 °C📊 OPERA |
| Refractive Index | 1.523 Dimensionless📊 OPERA |
| Molar Volume | 173.507 cm^3/mol📊 OPERA |
Partition & Solubility
| LogP (Octanol-Water) | 2.042 Log10 unitless📊 OPERA |
| LogD (pH 5.5) | 2.042 Log10 unitless📊 OPERA |
| LogD (pH 7.4) | 2.042 Log10 unitless📊 OPERA |
| LogKoa (Octanol-Air) | 8.47 Log10 unitless📊 OPERA |
| Water Solubility | 0.024 mol/L📊 OPERA |
| Henry's Law Constant | 0 atm-m3/mole📊 OPERA |
Transport Properties
| Vapor Pressure | 0 mmHg📊 OPERA |
| Viscosity | 20.613 cP📊 OPERA |
| Surface Tension | 39.745 dyn/cm📊 OPERA |
| Thermal Conductivity | 150.575 mW/(m*K)📊 OPERA |
Molecular Descriptors
| Topological Polar Surface Area | 46.53 Ų💻 Computed |
| H-Bond Donors | 1 count💻 Computed |
| H-Bond Acceptors | 3 count💻 Computed |
| Rotatable Bonds | 4 count💻 Computed |
| Aromatic Rings | 1 count💻 Computed |
| Molar Refractivity | 53.013 cm^3/mol📊 OPERA |
| Polarizability | 21.016 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.
