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Phenylethyl Isobutyrate

Q: Is Phenylethyl Isobutyrate natural or synthetic?

. Extraction: Produced synthetically by esterification of phenylethyl alcohol with isobutyric acid. Simple synthesis..

FLOWERS / floral · rosy · fruity

Category	FLOWERS
Subcategory	floral · rosy · fruity
Origin
Volatility	Heart Note
Botanical	N/A — synthetic molecule
Appearance	colorless to pale yellow clear liquid
Odor Strength	Medium
Producing Countries	Manufactured globally (China, India, Europe)
Pyramid	Heart

Sweet, rosy-fruity with a tropical, slightly banana-like quality. Phenylethyl isobutyrate is rose gone tropical — soft, ripe, with an ester-bright sweetness.

Scent
The Full Story
Fun Fact
Extraction & Chemistry
In Perfumery

Scent

Sweet, rosy-fruity. Tropical-ripe quality — banana, pear, with rose underneath. More fruity than PEA, brighter than phenylethyl acetate. Ester-clean and diffusive.

Evolution over time

Immediately

Sweet rosy-fruity opening. Tropical, bright, ester-clean.

After a few hours

Fruity-rose heart. Ripe banana-pear quality persists.

After a few days

Clean fade. Moderate tenacity.

The Full Story

CAS 103-48-0. The isobutyrate ester of phenylethyl alcohol. This ester shifts PEA's warm rosy character toward a fruitier, more tropical direction. The isobutyrate group adds a ripe, slightly banana-pear quality.

The scent is sweet, rosy, and distinctly fruity — more tropical and ripe than PEA itself. The ester brightness gives it a clean, diffusive quality. It is used in fruity-rose accords and tropical-floral compositions.

Explore all seven extraits in the Discovery Set.

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Did You Know?

Did you know?

The isobutyrate group is one of the key 'fruit' ester groups in flavor and fragrance chemistry — isobutyric acid esters show up in strawberry, pineapple, and tropical fruit flavors. Combining it with PEA's rose character creates a deliberate rose-fruit hybrid.

Extraction & Chemistry

Extraction method: Produced synthetically by esterification of phenylethyl alcohol with isobutyric acid. Simple synthesis.

Molecular Formula	C12H16O2
CAS Number	103-48-0
Botanical Name	N/A — synthetic molecule
IFRA Status	No known restrictions
Synonyms	Phenylethyl isobutyrate, Phenylethyl isobutanoate
Physical Properties
Odor Strength	Medium
Lasting Power	164 Hour(s)
Appearance	colorless to pale yellow clear liquid
Boiling Point	230.00 °C. @ 760.00 mm Hg
Flash Point	227.00 °F. TCC ( 108.33 °C. )
Specific Gravity	0.98700 to 0.99000 @ 25.00 °C.
Refractive Index	1.48610 to 1.48810 @ 20.00 °C.

In Perfumery

Heart modifier in fruity-rose and tropical-floral compositions. Phenylethyl isobutyrate adds tropical-fruity depth to rose accords. Works in modern fruity-florals and compositions where rose needs a contemporary, ripe quality.