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Nonanal

Q: Is Nonanal natural or synthetic?

. Extraction: Produced synthetically by oxidation of nonanol or hydroformylation of 1-octene. Found naturally in rose oil, orange peel, and many plant sources. Commercial supply is synthetic..

CITRUS SMELLS / citrus · waxy · aldehydic

Nonanal

Category	CITRUS SMELLS
Subcategory	citrus · waxy · aldehydic
Origin
Volatility	Top Note
Botanical	N/A — found in rose oil, citrus oils
Appearance	colorless to pale yellow clear liquid with waxy citrus-rose odor
Producing Countries	China, Europe, United States
Pyramid	Top

Waxy, rosy-citrus with a fresh, slightly green quality. Nonanal smells like a rose seen through frosted glass — floral but distant, aldehyde-clean, faintly fatty.

Scent
The Full Story
Fun Fact
Extraction & Chemistry
In Perfumery

Scent

Waxy, rosy-citrus, aldehyde-fresh. The rose quality is subtle but present — an aldehydic interpretation of rose rather than a purely floral one. Cleaner than decanal, more floral than octanal, less green than hexanal. A soapy-clean quality typical of fatty aldehydes. Moderate volatility.

Evolution over time

Immediately

Waxy, rosy-citrus burst. Aldehyde-clean and fresh.

After a few hours

Rose-floral quality emerges. Waxy-soapy heart.

After a few days

Moderate fade. Faint waxy-floral residue.

The Full Story

CAS 124-19-6. A 9-carbon straight-chain aldehyde. Nonanal sits in the middle of the fatty aldehyde series, where the character shifts from citrus-fresh (shorter chains) toward waxy-floral (longer chains). It has a particular rosy-citrus quality with a clean, slightly green freshness.

The scent is waxy, slightly floral (rose-like), with a citrus-aldehyde brightness. It is more floral than octanal and less waxy than decanal. Nonanal occurs naturally in rose oil, citrus oils, and many other plant sources. It contributes to the aldehydic character of natural rose — the crisp, 'fresh' top note that complements the deeper floral body.

In the aldehydic bouquet (C8-C12), nonanal provides the rose-floral bridge between citrusy octanal and waxy decanal.

This note in Première Peau. Gravitas Capitale. Sample all seven extraits in the Discovery Set.

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Did You Know?

Did you know?

Nonanal is one of the volatile compounds emitted by human skin — it is produced by the oxidation of skin lipids. Mosquitoes use nonanal as a chemical cue to locate human hosts, which has led to research on nonanal-based mosquito traps.

Extraction & Chemistry

Extraction method: Produced synthetically by oxidation of nonanol or hydroformylation of 1-octene. Found naturally in rose oil, orange peel, and many plant sources. Commercial supply is synthetic.

Molecular Formula	C9H18O
CAS Number	124-19-6
Botanical Name	N/A — found in rose oil, citrus oils
IFRA Status	No known restrictions
Synonyms	NONANAL · PELARGONALDEHYDE · NONANALDEHYDE
Physical Properties
Lasting Power	276 hour(s) at 100.00 %
Appearance	colorless to pale yellow clear liquid with waxy citrus-rose odor
Boiling Point	92.00 to 93.00 °C. @ 22.00 mm Hg
Flash Point	145.00 °F. TCC ( 63.00 °C. )
Specific Gravity	0.81900 to 0.82700 @ 25.00 °C.
Refractive Index	1.42100 to 1.42600 @ 20.00 °C.

In Perfumery

Top-note modifier in aldehydic, rose, and fresh compositions. Nonanal provides the rosy-waxy element of the aldehydic bouquet. It enhances the fresh, 'lifted' quality of rose accords and contributes to the sparkling aldehydic effect in classic perfumery. Part of the C8-C12 aldehyde series that defines the aldehydic family.