Propionaldehyde

What Propionaldehyde smells like

JECFA, as published by PubChem, describes propionaldehyde as a colourless, mobile liquid with a sharp, pungent odour. PubChem's hazardous-substances and safety records add suffocating and choking at high concentration, and an overpowering fruity odour similar to acetaldehyde.

Leading note

Sharp

Clear facets

Pungent

Supporting facets

Fruity

Character

Volatile, ethereal

• sharp
• pungent
• fruity
• ethereal

What makes Propionaldehyde distinctive

A sharp, pungent, fruity aldehyde, overpowering at high concentration, used in traces.

How Propionaldehyde is used

Used in traces, highly diluted, to add a sharp, airy lift to fruity and alcoholic top notes.

Typical role: lift (adds diffusion and radiance, especially at the top).

How Propionaldehyde differs from similar materials

Ethyl Acetate

Ethyl acetate is softer, ethereal and fruity; propionaldehyde is the sharper, more pungent volatile.

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.

Formulation considerations

Highly volatile and highly flammable; handled diluted.

Identity and classification

Type

Aroma chemical

Origin

Occurs in nature

Odour family

Aldehydic / Fruity

Note position

Top note

Physical form at room temperature

Liquid

Also known as

Propanal

CAS number

123-38-6

Molecular formula

C3H6O

Molecular weight

58.08 g/mol

IUPAC name

propanal

The CAS number, formula and molecular weight are taken from PubChem compound 527, 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. It has a harmonised EU classification (Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008, Annex VI): H225 highly Flammable liquid and vapor; H315 causes skin irritation; H319 causes serious eye irritation; H335 may cause respiratory irritation. Companies notifying the ECHA C&L Inventory classify it (2,074 reports): H225 highly Flammable liquid and vapor (100% of reports); H315 causes skin irritation (100% of reports); H335 may cause respiratory irritation (100% of reports); H319 causes serious eye irritation (91.5% of reports); H302 harmful if swallowed (19.9% of reports); H332 harmful if inhaled (19.6% 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

• Ethyl Acetate

  Aroma chemical · Fruity — ethereal, fruity, pineapple, brandy

• Ethyl Butyrate

  Aroma chemical · Fruity / Gourmand — pineapple, fruity, sweet

• Isoamyl Acetate

  Aroma chemical · Fruity / Gourmand — banana, pear drop, fruity, sweet

Used in formulas and accords

Used in 1 published formula

Propionaldehyde is an ingredient in 1 accord in the Formula & Accord Library.

• Horchata Accord

  Community Formula · Accord · listed as “Propionaldehyde 1%”, at 1%

Further reading

• Aldehydes in Perfumery: The Aliphatic Aldehydes and How to Use Them

  What the aliphatic aldehydes smell like, what they do, how to dose them, which other aldehydes matter, and how to stop them oxidizing.

Questions about Propionaldehyde

Sources

• PubChem — compound 527, checked 24 October 2026.
• PubChem — GHS classification (the ECHA C&L Inventory notifications and any harmonised EU entry), read 26 October 2026.
• PubChem — propanal (JECFA and HSDB descriptions) (CID 527) — 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.