In short
cis-3-Hexenyl butyrate is an ester of leaf alcohol with a green, fruity odour. It brings a ripe, buttery-green fruit character that sits between leaf and apple.
What cis-3-Hexenyl Butyrate smells like
Cis-3-hexenyl butyrate is a green-fruity ester with a buttery roundness. It is described as green, fruity and somewhat buttery, and suppliers add apple and strawberry on one side and a wine- or brandy-like, cognac character on the other. It is heavier than the acetate: a fragrance source characterises the butyrate as buttery, heavy and wine- or brandy-like next to its isomers.
- Leading note
- Green fruit
- Clear facets
- Buttery
- Supporting facets
- Wine and brandy, apple
- Faint facets
- Strawberry
- Character
- Green, ripe, buttery, heavy
What makes cis-3-Hexenyl Butyrate distinctive
The butter. Among the leaf-alcohol esters it adds a dairy-like, buttery richness and a brandy note, which makes its fruit read riper and heavier than the acetate's.
How cis-3-Hexenyl Butyrate is used
Used for ripe green-fruit effects, apple, pear and berry, and — one supplier notes — for its green, cognac-like character in florals such as jasmine and ylang-ylang. It is also a flavour material.
Typical role: modifier (used in small amounts to change the character of a blend).
How cis-3-Hexenyl Butyrate differs from similar materials
- cis-3-Hexenyl Acetate
- The acetate is lighter and sharper, banana and pear; the butyrate is heavier, buttery and brandy-like.
- Hexyl Butyrate
- Hexyl butyrate is a waxy, soapy green apple; the cis-3-hexenyl ester is greener and buttery, with brandy.
- Olive Fruit Absolute
- Olive fruit absolute is a natural green, fatty and lactonic, smelling of ripe olives; this ester is a single green-buttery fruit note.
Each difference compares the published descriptions of the two materials. Smell varies with grade, supplier and dilution; compare them side by side on blotters before substituting one for another.
Identity and classification
- Type
- Aroma chemical
- Origin
- Occurs in nature
- Odour family
- Green / Fruity
- Note position
- Top note
- Physical form at room temperature
- Liquid
- Also known as
- (Z)-Hex-3-enyl butanoate
- CAS number
- 16491-36-4
- Molecular formula
- C10H18O2
- Molecular weight
- 170.25 g/mol
- IUPAC name
- [(Z)-hex-3-enyl] butanoate
The CAS number, formula and molecular weight are taken from PubChem compound 5352438, whose own record lists this CAS number; checked 19 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 report it as not meeting the GHS hazard criteria (1,614 of 1,657 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
-
cis-3-Hexenol
Aroma chemical · Green / Fruity — green, cut grass, leafy, fresh
-
cis-3-Hexenyl Acetate
Aroma chemical · Green / Fruity — green, fruity, unripe banana, fresh
-
Hexyl Butyrate
Aroma chemical · Fruity / Green — fruity, green apple, fresh, waxy
-
Prenyl Acetate
Aroma chemical · Fruity / Green — fruity, banana, pear, green
Used in formulas and accords
Used in 1 published formula
cis-3-Hexenyl Butyrate is an ingredient in 1 perfume formula in the Formula & Accord Library.
RUŌOD House Originals
Original compositions by RUŌOD House.
Further reading
Questions about cis-3-Hexenyl Butyrate
Is cis-3-Hexenyl Butyrate natural or synthetic?
The molecule occurs in nature. Commercial cis-3-Hexenyl Butyrate 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 cis-3-Hexenyl Butyrate?
16491-36-4. It was checked against PubChem on 19 October 2026.
Which published formulas use cis-3-Hexenyl Butyrate?
cis-3-Hexenyl Butyrate is used in 1 published formula in the RUŌOD Lab Formula & Accord Library: Blackcurrant Signal. Each is listed with a link under "Used in formulas and accords" on this page.
Sources
- PubChem — compound 5352438, checked 19 October 2026.
- PubChem — GHS classification (the ECHA C&L Inventory notifications and any harmonised EU entry), read 26 October 2026.
- The Good Scents Company — cis-3-hexenyl butyrate — odour database.
- ChemicalBook — cis-3-hexenyl butyrate (CAS 16491-36-4) — odour database.
- Perflavory — cis-3-hexenyl butyrate — 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.