Cinnamyl Nitrile

What Cinnamyl Nitrile smells like

Cinnamyl nitrile (IFF's Cinnamalva) is a powerful, warm, spicy, slightly floral, cinnamon-like note, in a specification sheet; a supplier listing gives spicy, with cinnamon, cassia and cumin notes. IFF describes it as cinnamon-like with higher odour intensity and chemical stability than cinnamic aldehyde. Nitriles generally withstand alkaline and oxidising bases better than aldehydes, though no stability data were found for this one. No source describes it as fruity.

Leading note

Spicy cinnamon

Supporting facets

Cassia

Faint facets

Slightly floral, cumin

Character

Warm, powerful, stable

• cinnamon
• spicy
• sweet
• balsamic

What makes Cinnamyl Nitrile distinctive

A cinnamon built to survive: stronger and more stable than cinnamic aldehyde, for products the aldehyde would not last in.

How Cinnamyl Nitrile is used

Used for cinnamon and spicy effects in functional products where cinnamaldehyde would be unstable.

Typical role: modifier (used in small amounts to change the character of a blend).

How Cinnamyl Nitrile differs from similar materials

Cinnamaldehyde*

IFF describes it as stronger and more stable than cinnamic aldehyde; the aldehyde is the natural candy-cinnamon odorant. (compared directly by a cited source)

alpha-Methylcinnamaldehyde

The alpha-methyl aldehyde is a softer, balsamic cinnamon; the nitrile is more powerful, with cassia and a hint of cumin.

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

Covered by an IFRA Standard; check the limit for your product category.

Identity and classification

Type

Aroma chemical

Origin

Synthetic

Odour family

Spicy / Resinous

Note position

Heart note

Physical form at room temperature

Liquid. Melts at about 18–22 °C, so it may solidify when cold (TCI lists it as a liquid at 20 °C).

Also known as

Cinnamonitrile, 3-Phenylprop-2-enenitrile

CAS number

1885-38-7

Molecular formula

C9H7N

Molecular weight

129.16 g/mol

IUPAC name

(E)-3-phenylprop-2-enenitrile

The CAS number, formula and molecular weight are taken from PubChem compound 1550846, whose own record lists this CAS number; checked 19 October 2026.

Safety and compliance

The IFRA Standards Library lists a Standard covering Cinnamyl Nitrile:

• "Cinnamyl nitrile" — Restriction, 49th Amendment, published 2020-01

Limits differ by product category and are set out in the Standard itself; this page does not reproduce them. The list above reflects the library as read on 19 October 2026.

Hazard classification of the neat substance, as PubChem summarises it, read 26 October 2026. Companies notifying the ECHA C&L Inventory classify it (1,608 reports): H312 harmful in contact with skin (98.5% of reports); H317 may cause an allergic skin reaction (98.5% of reports); H301 toxic if swallowed (98.4% of reports). A skin sensitiser classification concerns handling the neat material and the dose in a finished product; the IFRA Standards, where they apply, set the limits. 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

• Cinnamaldehyde

  Aroma chemical · Spicy / Gourmand — cinnamon, spicy, sweet, hot

• Eugenol

  Aroma chemical · Spicy / Floral — clove, spicy, warm

• Citronellyl Nitrile

  Aroma chemical · Citrus / Metallic — lemon, metallic, fresh, waxy

• Vanillin

  Aroma chemical · Gourmand / Amber — vanilla, sweet, creamy

Used in formulas and accords

Not currently used in any published formula.

The Formula & Accord Library lists Cinnamyl Nitrile here as soon as a published formula, accord or base uses it.

Further reading

• Nitriles in Perfumery: Stable Alternatives to Aldehydes

  Why nitriles replace aldehydes in soap, detergents and deodorants: common nitriles and their aldehyde cousins, trade-offs, IFRA status and a test.

• Spicy Notes in Perfumery: Warm and Fresh Spices

  Warm and fresh spice materials, their key constituents, why cinnamon and clove are closely restricted, and how to build warmth within the limits.

Questions about Cinnamyl Nitrile

Sources

• PubChem — compound 1550846, checked 19 October 2026.
• PubChem — GHS classification (the ECHA C&L Inventory notifications and any harmonised EU entry), read 26 October 2026.
• IFRA — Standards Library, read 19 October 2026.
• The Good Scents Company — cinnamyl nitrile — odour database.
• Parchem — cinnamyl nitrile specification — distributor's description.
• 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.