Жолудь

Acorn acetate (1-ethynylcyclohexyl acetate, CAS 5240-32-4) is a synthetic aroma chemical — a tertiary propargylic ester with molecular formula C₁₀H₁₄O₂, molecular weight 166.22 g/mol. It is the primary molecule used in perfumery to carries the scent of acorns and oak forest flo or. No natural essential oil or absolute of acorns exists for perfumery use. The molecule itself is colourless, liquid at room temperature, with a boiling point of 201–202°C and moderate vapour pressure (0.303 mmHg at 25°C).

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Scent Character

TGSC describes the odour as ‘natural acorn, dry oak leaves, hay, woody, immortelle, herbal.’ The profile is particular: drier and more tannic thanvetiver, less smoky than guaiac wood, with a pronounced hay-like sweetness similar to of immortelle. The herbal dimension sits between dried thyme and crushed walnut shell. There is nothing fruity about it. The scent reads as autumnal, papery, and faintly bitter — closer to dried leaves than to the nut itself.

Synthesis

Industrial production follows a two-step sequence: acetylene is added to cyclohexanone under basic conditions (typically KOH in liquid ammonia or DMSO) to yield 1-ethynylcyclohexanol (CAS 78-27-3), which is then acetylated with acetic anhydride or acetyl chloride to give the final ester. The chemistry is straightforward — a Reppe-type ethynylation followed by standard esterification. The starting materials are inexpensive bulk chemicals, making acorn acetate an affordable ingredient.

Relationship to Real Acorns

Actual acorns (Quercus spp.) do not contain 1-ethynylcyclohexyl acetate. GC-MS analysis of roasted Quercus humboldtii acorns (Warsi to et al., 2019) identified furfural, 5-methylfurfural, furfuryl alcohol, and 3-hydroxy-2-butanone as the dominant volatiles — compounds associated with caramel, grain, and roasted-nut aromas. The connection between the molecule and its trade name is suggestive rather than chemical: acorn acetate smells like the idea of acorns in an autumn woodland, not like the nut’s actual headspace.

Related Notes

See also: Oak, Hay, Immortelle, Vetiver.