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Phenylethyl Formate

Q: Is Phenylethyl Formate natural or synthetic?

. Extraction: Produced synthetically by esterification of phenylethyl alcohol with formic acid. Simple synthesis. Not commercially significant as a natural isolate..

FLOWERS / floral · rosy · green

Phenylethyl Formate

Category	FLOWERS
Subcategory	floral · rosy · green
Origin
Volatility	Heart Note
Botanical	N/A - synthetic molecule
Appearance	colorless clear liquid
Odor Strength	medium
Producing Countries	N/A - manufactured globally
Pyramid	Heart

Light, rosy-green with a fresh, slightly unripe quality. Phenylethyl formate smells like rose petals caught by a gust of cold morning air — floral, crisp, fleeting.

Scent
The Full Story
Fun Fact
Extraction & Chemistry
In Perfumery

Scent

Light, fresh, green-rosy. Brighter and less sweet than phenylethyl alcohol. A crisp, slightly unripe quality — rose buds rather than open flowers. More volatile, less rounded, more transparent. Quick evaporation; on blotter, it fades within an hour to a faint, clean floral trace.

Evolution over time

Immediately

Light green-rose burst. Fresh, crisp, fleeting.

After a few hours

Fading quickly. Faint floral trace remains.

After a few days

Gone. Very low tenacity. Top-note material only.

The Full Story

CAS 104-62-1. The formate ester of phenylethyl alcohol. The ester modification adds a lighter, greener, more volatile character to the warm rosy base of PEA. The result is a fresh, slightly green-rose note that functions as a top-note lifter.

The scent is floral-rosy but brighter and more transparent than phenylethyl alcohol itself. The formate group gives it a slightly green, unripe quality — like rose petals before they fully open. It is more ephemeral, less sweet, and less rounded than PEA. The molecule evaporates relatively quickly, making it a top-note contributor.

In perfumery, phenylethyl formate is used to add fresh, green-rose lift to floral compositions. It provides the opening freshness that the heavier PEA cannot deliver.

This note in Première Peau. Nuit Elastique · Rose Monotone. Sample all seven extraits in the Discovery Set.

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Did You Know?

Did you know?

The formate ester series demonstrates a perfumery principle: shorter acid chains produce lighter, more volatile esters. Phenylethyl formate (C1 acid) is the lightest and most volatile rose ester; phenylethyl acetate (C2) is slightly heavier; phenylethyl propionate (C3) is heavier still. Each step up the acid chain trades freshness for body.

Extraction & Chemistry

Extraction method: Produced synthetically by esterification of phenylethyl alcohol with formic acid. Simple synthesis. Not commercially significant as a natural isolate.

Molecular Formula	C9H10O2
CAS Number	104-62-1
Botanical Name	N/A - synthetic molecule
IFRA Status	No known restrictions
Synonyms	PHENETHYL FORMATE · 2-PHENYLETHYL FORMATE
Physical Properties
Odor Strength	medium
Lasting Power	68 hour(s) at 100.00 %
Appearance	colorless clear liquid
Boiling Point	226.00 °C. @ 760.00 mm Hg
Flash Point	196.00 °F. TCC ( 91.11 °C. )
Specific Gravity	1.05600 to 1.06200 @ 25.00 °C.
Refractive Index	1.50600 to 1.51000 @ 20.00 °C.

In Perfumery

Top-note lifter in rose and fresh-floral compositions. Phenylethyl formate provides the opening rose freshness that PEA is too heavy to deliver. It works in fresh-rose accords, green-floral compositions, and as a modifier that brightens heavier floral hearts. The molecule's quick evaporation means it contributes to first impressions, not longevity.