Sweet, fruity, pear-apple, with a clean green undertone. Less tropical than banana-type esters, more naturalistic than synthetic fruit flavors. The smell of a ripe Bartlett pear at its peak — sweet, clean, slightly green at the edges. At excess, the ester character becomes solvent-like.
Evolution over time
Immediately
Immediately
Sweet pear-apple burst, clean ester, faintly green
After a few hours
After a few hours
Softer fruit, less sharp, gentle sweetness
After a few days
After a few days
Essentially gone — simple esters are highly volatile
The Full Story
Hexyl acetate (CAS 142-92-7) is a simple ester with the formula C8H16O2, formed from hexanol and acetic acid. It is one of the primary odorants responsible for the characteristic smell of ripe pears, apples, and other pomaceous fruits. The molecule occurs naturally in many fruits and is a major volatile in pear, apple, and cherry.
The scent is clean, sweet-fruity, with a distinct green undertone — less tropical than isoamyl acetate (banana), more clean than ethyl butyrate (pineapple). At higher concentrations it can become slightly solvent-like, as with most simple esters.
Hexyl acetate is commercially produced by esterification of 1-hexanol with acetic acid, and is used in both food flavoring (as a pear/apple aroma) and perfumery. It is inexpensive, widely available, and considered safe (FEMA GRAS).
In perfumery, it functions as a fruity top-note modifier providing a naturalistic, orchard-fruit freshness. Often used in small quantities to add a ripe-fruit impression to floral or green compositions.
This note in Première Peau. Rose Monotone. Sample all seven extraits in the Discovery Set.
Hexyl acetate is one of the primary volatiles released by ripe pears — it is also a component of the alarm pheromone of the honey bee (Apis mellifera), which is why disturbed bees are sometimes described as smelling like bananas or pears.
Extraction & Chemistry
Extraction method: Commercially synthesized by Fischer esterification of 1-hexanol with acetic acid using an acid catalyst. Also naturally present in many fruits (pear, apple, cherry, banana). The synthetic is identical to the natural molecule. CAS 142-92-7. Inexpensive, high-volume production.
Molecular Formula
C8H16O2
CAS Number
142-92-7
Botanical Name
N/A — synthetic molecule
IFRA Status
No known restrictions
Synonyms
caproic acid ethyl ester, hexyl ethanoate
Physical Properties
Odor Strength
Medium
Lasting Power
5 hours at 100.00%
Appearance
colorless clear oily liquid
Boiling Point
170.00 to 172.00 °C. @ 760.00 mm Hg
Flash Point
132.00 °F. TCC ( 55.56 °C. )
Specific Gravity
0.86800 to 0.87600 @ 25.00 °C.
Refractive Index
1.40600 to 1.41100 @ 20.00 °C.
Melting Point
-80.00 °C. @ 760.00 mm Hg
In Perfumery
Hexyl acetate (CAS 142-92-7) functions as a fruity top-note modifier providing pear-apple freshness. Used at low dosages (0.5-3% of formula) to add naturalistic fruit character to floral, green, and fresh compositions. Simple ester chemistry — hexanol + acetic acid. Inexpensive and widely available. Often blended with cis-3-hexenyl acetate (green-leaf) for a green-fruity transition. Useful in fruity-floral, fresh, and soliflore compositions.
