In short
Acetanisole is 4'-methoxyacetophenone, an aromatic ketone with a floral, powdery, vanillic odour. HSDB compares it to p-methylacetophenone, with hawthorn and heliotrope notes.
What Acetanisole smells like
JECFA, as published by PubChem, describes acetanisole as a colourless to pale yellow fused solid with a floral, powdery, vanillic, balsamic odour. HSDB describes a pleasant hawthorn odour, similar to that of p-methylacetophenone and suggestive of hawthorn and of the floral note of heliotrope. PubChem links it to natural-product databases.
- Leading note
- Floral powdery
- Clear facets
- Hawthorn
- Supporting facets
- Vanilla, heliotrope
- Faint facets
- Balsamic
- Character
- Soft, sweet
What makes Acetanisole distinctive
A hawthorn ketone with a vanillic, powdery heliotrope side.
How Acetanisole is used
Used for hawthorn, heliotrope and powdery floral effects: HSDB likens its odour to hawthorn and to the floral note of heliotrope, and JECFA's floral, powdery, vanillic and balsamic description fits its use beside anisic and vanillic materials in powdery floral and gourmand accords. It is also a JECFA-evaluated flavouring.
Typical role: modifier (used in small amounts to change the character of a blend).
How Acetanisole differs from similar materials
- 4-Methylacetophenone
- HSDB likens acetanisole's odour to p-methylacetophenone's, and adds a powdery, vanillic heliotrope note to the hawthorn. (compared directly by a cited source)
An asterisk marks a difference that a cited source states directly. The others compare the published descriptions of each material. Smell varies with grade, supplier and dilution; compare them side by side on blotters before substituting one for another.
Formulation considerations
A low-melting solid.
Identity and classification
- Type
- Aroma chemical
- Origin
- Occurs in nature
- Odour family
- Floral / Powdery
- Note position
- Heart note
- Physical form at room temperature
- Solid
- Also known as
- 4'-Methoxyacetophenone, p-Methoxyacetophenone
- CAS number
- 100-06-1
- Molecular formula
- C9H10O2
- Molecular weight
- 150.17 g/mol
- IUPAC name
- 1-(4-methoxyphenyl)ethanone
The CAS number, formula and molecular weight are taken from PubChem compound 7476, whose own record lists this CAS number; checked 24 October 2026.
Safety and compliance
Hazard classification of the neat substance, as PubChem summarises it, read 26 October 2026. Companies notifying the ECHA C&L Inventory classify it (1,856 reports): H302 harmful if swallowed (100% of reports); H315 causes skin irritation (12.7% of reports); H319 causes serious eye irritation (10.1% of reports). Unless it is harmonised, this is the notifiers' own classification, not a binding one.
This page is general information, not a safety assessment or a specification. Confirm identity, composition, IFRA status and allergen content from your supplier's documents for the lot you hold.
Materials it works with
-
4-Methylacetophenone
Aroma chemical · Floral / Fruity — sweet, floral, hawthorn, fruity
-
Anisaldehyde
Aroma chemical · Powdery / Floral — anisic, hawthorn, floral, sweet
-
Heliotropin
Aroma chemical · Powdery / Gourmand — powdery, almond, vanilla, floral
Used in formulas and accords
Used in 4 published formulas
Acetanisole is an ingredient in 3 perfume formulas and 1 accord in the Formula & Accord Library.
Community formulas
RUŌOD House Originals
Original compositions by RUŌOD House.
Further reading
Questions about Acetanisole
Is Acetanisole natural or synthetic?
The molecule occurs in nature. Commercial Acetanisole may be made by synthesis or obtained from natural sources, so check the supplier's specification if the distinction matters to you.
What is the CAS number of Acetanisole?
100-06-1. It was checked against PubChem on 24 October 2026.
Which published formulas use Acetanisole?
Acetanisole is used in 4 published formulas in the RUŌOD Lab Formula & Accord Library, including Cherry Accord, Mimosa Draft and Orange Blossom Chalk. Each is listed with a link under "Used in formulas and accords" on this page.
Sources
- PubChem — compound 7476, checked 24 October 2026.
- PubChem — GHS classification (the ECHA C&L Inventory notifications and any harmonised EU entry), read 26 October 2026.
- PubChem — 4'-Methoxyacetophenone (CID 7476): JECFA organoleptic description — odour database.
- Olfactory profile: the RUŌOD Lab team's synthesis of the published descriptions above, reviewed 26 October 2026. Evidence: more than one published description. Classification and the short description: revision 1. Descriptions of odour are judgement, not measurement.