5 compounds of this family in the library, boiling between 182 and 261 °C. How the family spreads along the axis says something about its shared behaviour.
Structure
A hydroxyl group attached directly to an aromatic ring. It differs from an ordinary alcohol in that the benzene ring makes the hydroxyl slightly acidic.
Behaviour on a smelling strip
Very high-boiling and very long-lasting. The smell is usually sharp and warm, with a medicinal or smoky note. A small amount is enough to dominate a whole blend.
Compounds in this family
Ordered by rising boiling point — which is also the order in which you smell them.
| Compound | CAS | Boiling point | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phenol | 108-95-2 | 182 °C | Antiseptic, asphalt, with a slight note of printing ink. Sharp and dry. |
| Guaiacol | 90-05-1 | 205 °C | Smoke, tobacco, asphalt. This is the molecule of a fire that has gone out. |
| Creosol | 93-51-6 | 221 °C | Sweet smoke, tobacco, with a slight antiseptic note. Warmer than guaiacol. |
| Eugenol | 97-53-0 | 254 °C | Clove, warm, slightly numbing on the tongue. Present in cassia leaf, holy basil and clove — three unrelated plants. |
| Syringol | 91-10-1 | 261 °C | Wood smoke, smokehouse, black tea. Heavier than guaiacol and stays longer. |
Two ways of ordering, two questions
Boiling point answers the question when do you smell this compound. It is the axis this site uses by default, because it maps directly onto what happens on a smelling strip.
Chemical family answers the question how does this compound behave: stable or fragile, soft or sharp, and how you recognise it on an analysis. Trade literature usually presents compound tables along this axis.
Neither axis is more correct than the other. Knowing both means you can read both kinds of document. Read about the boiling-point axis