Ebanol (Matsunol)
Premium Synthetic Ingredient for Perfumery
Ebanol® (also known as Matsunol) is a synthetic, high-impact fragrance ingredient developed by Firmenich, valued for its rich sandalwood-like character with musky, leathery, and fruity nuances. Structurally, it is a mixture of diastereomeric alcohols not found in nature, synthesized via condensation and isomerization of campholenaldehyde with 2-butanone. Ebanol delivers a sandalwood profile significantly more powerful—up to four times—than natural sandalwood oil. It is used in both fine fragrances and functional perfumery to enhance depth, diffusion, and fixation, particularly in woody and oriental accords.
Premium Synthetic Ingredient for Perfumery
Ebanol® (also known as Matsunol) is a synthetic, high-impact fragrance ingredient developed by Firmenich, valued for its rich sandalwood-like character with musky, leathery, and fruity nuances. Structurally, it is a mixture of diastereomeric alcohols not found in nature, synthesized via condensation and isomerization of campholenaldehyde with 2-butanone. Ebanol delivers a sandalwood profile significantly more powerful—up to four times—than natural sandalwood oil. It is used in both fine fragrances and functional perfumery to enhance depth, diffusion, and fixation, particularly in woody and oriental accords.
Premium Synthetic Ingredient for Perfumery
Ebanol® (also known as Matsunol) is a synthetic, high-impact fragrance ingredient developed by Firmenich, valued for its rich sandalwood-like character with musky, leathery, and fruity nuances. Structurally, it is a mixture of diastereomeric alcohols not found in nature, synthesized via condensation and isomerization of campholenaldehyde with 2-butanone. Ebanol delivers a sandalwood profile significantly more powerful—up to four times—than natural sandalwood oil. It is used in both fine fragrances and functional perfumery to enhance depth, diffusion, and fixation, particularly in woody and oriental accords.
Synthetic Ingredient Overview
🏭 Manufacturer — Firmenich
🔎 Chemical name — 3-methyl-5-(2,2,3-trimethylcyclopent-3-en-1-yl)pent-4-en-2-ol
🧪 Synonyms — Ebanol®, Matsunol
🧬 Chemical Formula — C₁₄H₂₆O
📂 CAS N° — 67801-20-1
📘 FEMA — Not listed
⚖️ MW — 208.34 g/mol
📝 Odor type — Woody / Sandalwood
📈 Odor Strength — Medium; extremely long-lasting (up to 400 hrs on paper)
👃🏼 Odor Profile — Rich, natural sandalwood with fruity, leather, prune/date, anisic and nutty undertones
⚗️ Uses — Used in fine fragrances, toiletries, soaps, candles, and detergents to boost woody volume and sandalwood radiance
🧴 Appearance — Colorless to pale yellow clear liquid
🧪 Stability Note — Store cool; may develop off-odors if undiluted
What is Ebanol?
Ebanol® is a synthetic sandalwood odorant and part of the macrocyclic alcohol family, used to replicate and amplify the olfactory qualities of sandalwood. Unlike natural essential oils, Ebanol is created via a multi-step synthesisinvolving the condensation of campholenaldehyde with 2-butanone, followed by isomerization and reduction. This process results in a stable mixture of four diastereomeric alcohols, each contributing to its complex scent signature.
As a non-natural molecule with no occurrence in plant-derived oils, Ebanol is highly consistent, reproducible, and less ecologically intensive than natural sandalwood extraction.
Olfactory Profile and Perfumery Applications
Ebanol produces a dense, radiant sandalwood character with accompanying notes of:
Fruit (prune, date)
Leather (smooth, labdanum-like)
Nutty-dry and slightly anisic facets
It performs as a mid-to-base note, delivering:
Fixative power
Long-lasting effect (400+ hours)
Volume in woody and musky structures
Naturalness in synthetic compositions
It is especially effective in:
Sandalwood and woody accords
Floral-oriental blends
Modern fougère and signature base formulations
Industrial and Technical Uses
Ebanol is highly substantive and effective across various fragrance formats:
Alcoholic fine fragrance (e.g., used in Egoïste, XS for Her, Dolce Vita, Escape for Men)
Functional perfumery: soaps, detergents, candles
Toiletries and personal care: stable in complex formulations
Despite some anecdotal references to flavor use, no FEMA listing exists, and its use is strictly olfactory.
Regulatory and Safety Overview
IFRA: Not restricted under current IFRA Standards (51st Amendment). Use within typical concentration guidelines for woody materials.
EU Allergen Listing: Not among the 26 declarable allergens under Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009.
FEMA GRAS: Not listed; not approved for flavor or ingestible use.
ECHA: Registered under REACH; no acute toxicity classification.
Toxicology: May cause irritation at high concentrations. Not classified as sensitizer under standard perfumery dosages.
Storage: Should be stored in cool, sealed containers and preferably diluted in ethanol to prevent oxidative degradation (off-notes may develop).
✅ Ebanol is considered a high-performance synthetic with excellent safety and stability in standard perfumery usage.
Sources
Firmenich Product Literature
PubChem CID 6504499 – Ebanol
Leffingwell & Associates – Chirality and Sandalwood Analogs
IFRA Standards Documentation
ECHA Substance Information
TGSC Information System
Fulvio Ciccolo – Scentspiracy Technical Archive
