Database/Perfuming/Amyl Cinnamal
Route-dependent · ISO 16128

Is Amyl Cinnamal natural?

It depends. Heptanal is route-dependent on this site: it is co-produced when castor oil is pyrolysed alongside undecylenic acid, and it is also made by petrochemical oxo synthesis. A single value hid that, even though the entry already acknowledged the oxo route would lower the figure.

INCI nameAmyl Cinnamal
CAS122-40-7
FormulaC14H18O · 202.29 Da
FunctionPerfuming
FeedstockMade by condensing benzaldehyde, produced from petrochemical toluene,…

Why the score varies

This ingredient is made commercially by more than one route, and ISO 16128 scores the feedstock actually used. Without a supplier certificate of origin the value cannot be claimed.

RouteFeedstockNOIShareNotes
castor-derived heptanal condensed with petrochemical benzaldehydecastor oil pyrolysis heptanal; toluene-route benzaldehyde0.55~50%only the 112.18 Da heptanal fragment is natural origin
oxo-synthesis heptanal condensed with petrochemical benzaldehydepetrochemical alkene hydroformylation; toluene-route benzaldehyde0.00~50%
Ask your supplier. A batch-specific certificate of origin or bio-based carbon test (ASTM D6866) settles which route applies.

How we scored it

Amyl cinnamal is C14H18O, 202.29 Da, made by aldol condensation of benzaldehyde with heptanal. The benzaldehyde-derived fragment C7H6 is 90.13 Da and is always petrochemical; the heptanal-derived fragment C7H12O is 112.18 Da. With castor-derived heptanal the value is 112.18/202.29 = 0.55; with petrochemical oxo heptanal nothing is natural, 0.00.
What counts. ISO 16128-2 scores the atoms that remain in the final ingredient. Reagents, solvents, catalysts and protecting groups used during manufacture leave no mass behind and are not counted.

How it’s made

Aldol condensation of benzaldehyde with heptanal. Each curved arrow moves one electron pair, and the film ends on the score above.

Where it comes from

Made by condensing benzaldehyde, produced from petrochemical toluene, with heptanal. Heptanal comes either from castor oil pyrolysis, which makes its carbon natural origin, or from oxo-synthesis hydroformylation of a petrochemical alkene.

In plain English

A jasmine-scented fragrance ingredient built by chemically joining two smaller aroma molecules rather than extracted from a plant. It is used to add floral notes to perfumes and scented products.

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Structure

2D structure of Amyl Cinnamal

(2Z)-2-benzylideneheptanal

PubChem CID 1712058 ↗

References

  1. 1ISO 16128-1:2016 and ISO 16128-2:2017 — Guidelines on technical definitions and criteria for natural and organic cosmetic ingredients and products. ISO, Geneva.
  2. 2Amyl Cinnamal. PubChem CID 1712058. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3AMYL CINNAMAL. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4AMYL CINNAMAL. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=AMYL%20CINNAMAL