Chemical Identity and Molecular Data
2-(sec-Butyl)cyclohexanone is a substituted alicyclic ketone built from a cyclohexanone ring carrying a secondary butyl group on the carbon next to the carbonyl. Its molecular formula is C10H18O and its molecular weight is 154.25 g/mol. Because the alkyl branch sits alpha to the carbonyl, the ring loses symmetry and the carbonyl becomes more sterically shielded than in unsubstituted cyclohexanone, a structural detail that shapes both its reactivity and its odor.
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Molecular formula | C10H18O |
| Molecular weight | 154.25 g/mol |
| Appearance | Colorless to pale yellow viscous liquid |
| Density | 0.912 g/mL at 25 °C |
| Boiling range | 76-78 °C under reduced pressure |
| Odor | Woody, musty and patchouli-like with a camphor coolness |
| Solubility | Miscible with most organic solvents, only slightly soluble in water |
| Stability | Stable at ambient temperature and pressure; keep away from strong oxidizers |
The material is a high-boiling cyclic ketone, so it is normally distilled and transferred under vacuum rather than at atmospheric pressure, and it is supplied in drums or smaller packaging suited to specialty chemical handling.
Physical and Organoleptic Properties
The compound is a colorless viscous liquid with a persistent woody-musty character, a patchouli-like base note and a light camphor coolness. Three features make it interesting to formulators: a low odor threshold, strong diffusion through the air, and good stability in finished products. The ketone function is chemically robust under normal storage conditions, and the molecule resists discoloration when it is kept away from light, air and reactive metals.
Key practical characteristics are:
Strong diffusion: a small dosage is detectable, so it is normally used at low percentages in a concentrate.
Cooling signature: it adds freshness without the sharp menthol effect of terpene-based coolants.
Stability: compatible with most fragrance and detergent bases, including oxidative systems, at recommended dosages.
Solubility: freely soluble in ethanol, isopropanol, benzyl benzoate, diethyl phthalate and typical fragrance oils.
Fragrance and Daily-Chemical Applications
In daily-chemical fragrances, 2-(sec-butyl)cyclohexanone is used in small amounts to give a cool, airy quality to lavender, citrus, green and bay-leaf accords. It is particularly useful in laundry detergents, where it delivers a lasting cooling impression without pushing the whole formula toward a mint direction. Because it survives bleaching systems, it also works in powder and liquid detergents, fabric softeners and household cleaners.
Typical positioning in a formula:
Laundry and cleaning products: 0.05-0.5 percent of the fragrance concentrate, adjusted to the base.
Fine fragrance and eau de toilette: 0.1-2 percent as a top-to-heart modifier.
Personal care such as soaps and shower gels: low dosages to reinforce freshness and lift.
Flavor, Mint-Type Accords and Masking Effects
As a modifier for mint-type compositions, the material can produce a peppermint-oil-like effect without relying on natural mint raw materials, which helps formulators stabilise cost and supply. It blends well with terpene coolants and with anisic, herbal and woody notes, and it can be used to soften the harsh edge of high-impact mint compounds while keeping the cooling profile intact.
Its woody-musty facet is also useful as a masking agent, covering solvent and base odors in technical products while contributing a pleasant background. When the target application is a flavor or a food-contact product, the applicable food-flavor regulations of the destination market govern whether the substance may be used and at what level; formulators should confirm the local regulatory position before commercial launch.
Chemical Intermediate and Industrial Applications
Beyond its odor role, 2-(sec-butyl)cyclohexanone serves as a building block in organic synthesis. The activated methylene position alpha to the carbonyl allows alkylation, condensation and reduction chemistry, so the molecule is used to prepare substituted cyclohexanols, cyclohexylamine derivatives and other fine chemicals. Hydrogenation over nickel or palladium catalysts gives the corresponding 2-(sec-butyl)cyclohexanol, a useful intermediate in its own right.
In industrial settings the ketone can act as a solvent or co-solvent in processes where its aromatic profile is acceptable, for example in the manufacture of technical odorants, coatings intermediates and specialty cleaning concentrates. As with any substituted cyclohexanone, it should be stored in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area in sealed containers, kept away from ignition sources, and protected from contact with strong acids, bases and oxidizing agents to preserve assay and color.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is 2-(sec-butyl)cyclohexanone used for?
It is used as a fragrance and flavor modifier that adds a cool, woody freshness, and as a chemical intermediate for substituted cyclohexanol and cyclohexylamine derivatives.
Q: Why does it give a cooling effect without smelling like mint?
The secondary butyl group creates a camphor-like coolness in the odor profile while the dominant notes stay woody and musty, so the mint character stays in the background.
Q: Is it stable in bleach-containing detergents?
Yes, the ketone function is resistant to the oxidative systems used in laundry and household cleaning products, which is why it is used in those applications.
Q: What is the typical dosage?
In fragrance concentrates the usual range is about 0.05-0.5 percent for detergents and up to 1-2 percent in fine fragrance, always adjusted to the base.
Q: How should it be stored?
Keep it in a sealed container in a cool, dry, ventilated place, protected from light and from strong oxidizers, acids and bases.
Q: Can it replace natural mint oil?
It can reproduce part of the peppermint-oil effect in a formula without natural mint raw materials, but it is a modifier rather than a complete replacement for the full mint profile.