In short
Methyl heptenone, 6-methylhept-5-en-2-one, is an unsaturated ketone found in lemongrass, citrus and many fruits. It gives a fresh, fruity-green citrus note.
What Methyl Heptenone smells like
Methyl heptenone is a fresh, green-citrus ketone with a lemongrass character and fruity apple-pear facets. Givaudan describes citrus and lemongrass and says it adds a natural green freshness to top notes; Moellhausen fresh, fruity, estery and citrusy with a lemongrass connotation; BASF fruity, green, citrus and herbal; ChemicalBook a strong, fatty, green, citrus-like odour with a pear-like taste. It was first identified in lemongrass and occurs in many essential oils. One older reference instead lists green, vegetative and musty with apple and green bean.
- Leading note
- Green lemongrass
- Clear facets
- Fruity apple-pear
- Supporting facets
- Fatty, herbal
- Faint facets
- Musty
- Character
- Fresh, green, fruity, sharp
What makes Methyl Heptenone distinctive
It is the green, fruity freshness behind lemongrass — citrus-like without being lemon — with an apple-pear fruitiness and, in some descriptions, a musty edge.
Where the descriptions disagree: Most describe green, citrus and lemongrass; one Perfumer & Flavorist-derived entry gives green, vegetative, musty, apple and green bean.
How Methyl Heptenone is used
Used to give natural green freshness to agrestic and citrus top notes, and in flavours.
Typical role: modifier (used in small amounts to change the character of a blend).
How Methyl Heptenone differs from similar materials
- Lemongrass Oil
- Lemongrass oil is dominated by citral's lemon; methyl heptenone, first found in it, is greener and fruitier, the oil's fresh side without the lemon.
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
- Citrus / Green
- Note position
- Top note
- Physical form at room temperature
- Liquid
- Also known as
- 6-Methylhept-5-en-2-one, Sulcatone
- CAS number
- 110-93-0
- Molecular formula
- C8H14O
- Molecular weight
- 126.2 g/mol
- IUPAC name
- 6-methylhept-5-en-2-one
The CAS number, formula and molecular weight are taken from PubChem compound 9862, 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 (1,822 reports): H226 flammable liquid and vapor (100% of reports); H319 causes serious eye irritation (74.4% 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
-
Citral
Aroma chemical · Citrus / Green — lemon, sharp, fresh, green
-
Lemongrass Oil
Essential oil · Citrus / Green — lemon, grassy, herbal, fresh
-
Lemon Oil (Cold-Pressed)
Essential oil · Citrus / Aldehydic — citrus, sharp, zesty, juicy
-
Linalool
Aroma chemical · Floral / Citrus — floral, fresh, woody, citrus
Methyl Heptenone is also suggested as a partner on the pages for Methyl Nonyl Ketone.
Used in formulas and accords
Used in 1 published formula
Methyl Heptenone is an ingredient in 1 perfume formula in the Formula & Accord Library.
RUŌOD House Originals
Original compositions by RUŌOD House.
Further reading
Questions about Methyl Heptenone
Is Methyl Heptenone natural or synthetic?
The molecule occurs in nature. Commercial Methyl Heptenone 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 Methyl Heptenone?
110-93-0. It was checked against PubChem on 19 October 2026.
Which published formulas use Methyl Heptenone?
Methyl Heptenone is used in 1 published formula in the RUŌOD Lab Formula & Accord Library: Mate Field. Each is listed with a link under "Used in formulas and accords" on this page.
Sources
- PubChem — compound 9862, checked 19 October 2026.
- PubChem — GHS classification (the ECHA C&L Inventory notifications and any harmonised EU entry), read 26 October 2026.
- BASF Aroma Ingredients — Methylheptenone — manufacturer's description.
- The Good Scents Company — 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one (with Givaudan and Moellhausen descriptions) — odour database.
- Fraterworks — methyl heptenone — distributor's description.
- ChemicalBook — 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one (CAS 110-93-0) — odour database.
- 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.