Hexyl Acetate

In short

Hexyl acetate is a fruity ester found in apples and pears. It gives a fresh pear and apple note with a slight green edge.

What Hexyl Acetate smells like

Hexyl acetate is a sweet, green, fruity ester with pear and apple notes — one of the main odorants of ripe pears and apples. Sigma-Aldrich lists apple, green, fruity, pear and sweet; a chemical reference describes a fruity odour suggestive of pear; a fragrance supplier adds subtle floral nuances. It is less intense than isoamyl acetate but more refined, and like most simple esters it turns solvent-like at high concentration.

Leading note: Fresh pear
Clear facets: Green apple
Supporting facets: Sweet
Faint facets: Floral
Character: Fresh, light, sweet, green

What makes Hexyl Acetate distinctive

A refined pear: greener and quieter than the banana-pear-drop isoamyl acetate, and less juicy-ripe than pear ester.

Concentration and dilution

Solvent-like at high concentration, as most simple esters are.

How Hexyl Acetate is used

Used as a fresh fruity top note in fruity, floral and fresh compositions and in pear and apple flavours.

Typical role: modifier (used in small amounts to change the character of a blend); lift (adds diffusion and radiance, especially at the top).

How Hexyl Acetate differs from similar materials

Isoamyl Acetate: A supplier describes hexyl acetate as less intense than isoamyl acetate but more refined; isoamyl acetate is banana and pear-drop. (compared directly by a cited source)
Ethyl Decadienoate (Pear Ester): Pear ester is the juicy, ripe Williams pear; hexyl acetate is a lighter, greener pear and apple.
cis-3-Hexenyl Acetate: cis-3-Hexenyl acetate is sharper and greener, with unripe banana; hexyl acetate is softer pear and apple.

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

Volatile.

Identity and classification

Type: Aroma chemical
Origin: Occurs in nature
Odour family: Fruity / Green
Note position: Top note
Physical form at room temperature: Liquid
CAS number: 142-92-7
Molecular formula: C8H16O2
Molecular weight: 144.21 g/mol
IUPAC name: hexyl acetate

The CAS number, formula and molecular weight are taken from PubChem compound 8908, 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 classify it (1,939 reports): H226 flammable liquid and vapor (98% of reports); H411 toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects (85.5% of reports). 8 of the reports find it does not meet the hazard criteria. 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

Ethyl 2-Methylbutyrate
Aroma chemical · Fruity / Green — apple, fruity, juicy, green
Isoamyl Acetate
Aroma chemical · Fruity / Gourmand — banana, pear drop, fruity, sweet
cis-3-Hexenyl Acetate
Aroma chemical · Green / Fruity — green, fruity, unripe banana, fresh

Hexyl Acetate is also suggested as a partner on the pages for 1-Hexanol, Amyl Acetate, Ethyl Acetoacetate, Ethyl Decadienoate (Pear Ester), Octyl Acetate and trans-2-Hexenol.

Used in formulas and accords

Used in 4 published formulas

Hexyl Acetate is an ingredient in 4 perfume formulas in the Formula & Accord Library.

RUŌOD House Originals

Original compositions by RUŌOD House.

Honeydew Static
RUŌOD House Original · listed as “Hexyl Acetate 10% DPG”, at 10% in DPG
Pear Lantern
RUŌOD House Original · listed as “Hexyl Acetate 10% DPG”, at 10% in DPG
Pencil Orchard
RUŌOD House Original · listed as “Hexyl Acetate 10% DPG”, at 10% in DPG
Peony Telegram
RUŌOD House Original · listed as “Hexyl Acetate 10% DPG”, at 10% in DPG

Questions about Hexyl Acetate

Is Hexyl Acetate natural or synthetic?

The molecule occurs in nature. Commercial Hexyl Acetate 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 Hexyl Acetate?

142-92-7. It was checked against PubChem on 19 October 2026.

Which published formulas use Hexyl Acetate?

Hexyl Acetate is used in 4 published formulas in the RUŌOD Lab Formula & Accord Library, including Honeydew Static, Pear Lantern and Pencil Orchard. Each is listed with a link under "Used in formulas and accords" on this page.

Sources

PubChem — compound 8908, checked 19 October 2026.
PubChem — GHS classification (the ECHA C&L Inventory notifications and any harmonised EU entry), read 26 October 2026.
Sigma-Aldrich — hexyl acetate, organoleptic profile — manufacturer's description.
ChemicalBook — hexyl acetate (CAS 142-92-7) — odour database.
Scentspiracy — Hexyl acetate — distributor's description.
Olfactory profile: the RUŌOD Lab team's synthesis of the published descriptions above, reviewed 20 October 2026. Evidence: several independent published descriptions, which agree. Classification and the short description: revision 1. Descriptions of odour are judgement, not measurement.