Isoamyl acetate
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| Isoamyl acetate | |
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| Chemical name | 3-methyl-1-butyl acetate |
| Other names | isopentyl acetate banana oil juicy fruit smell isopentyl ethanoate pear essence 3-methylbutyl acetate |
| Chemical formula | C7H14O2 |
| Molecular mass | 130.19 g/mol |
| CAS number | [123-92-2] |
| Density | 0.876 g/cm3 |
| Melting point | -78 °C |
| Boiling point | 142 °C |
| Refractive index | 1.4020 |
| SMILES | CC(C)CCOC(C)=O |
| Disclaimer and references | |
Isoamyl acetate is an organic compound that is the ester formed from isoamyl alcohol and acetic acid. It is a clear colorless liquid that is only slightly soluble in water, but very soluble in most organic solvents.
Isoamyl acetate has a strong pleasant odor (similar to juicy fruit) which is also described as similar to both banana and pear. Banana oil is a term that is applied either to pure isoamyl acetate or to flavorings that are mixtures of isoamyl acetate, amyl acetate, nitrocellulose and other flavors. Pear oil commonly refers to a solution of isoamyl acetate in ethanol that is used as an artificial flavor.
Isoamyl acetate is also used to test the effectiveness of respirators or gas masks because it has a strong smell which is not unpleasant that can be detected at low concentrations, and has low toxicity.
It is also used as a solvent for some varnishes and nitrocellulose lacquers, as well as being a honey bee pheromone and can be used to attract large groups of honeybees to a small area.
