Compounds · Alcohols · Terpenoid pathway
Guaiol
Damp wood, slightly rosy, with an earthy note. Softer than patchoulol and less sweet.
- CAS
- 489-86-1
- Formula
- C15H26O
- Molar mass
- 222.37
- Odour threshold
- —
- Boiling point
- ≈ 288 °C estimated
Where it comes from
Biosynthetic pathway: Terpenoid pathway — plants build them from identical five-carbon blocks.
Why it sits where it does
A sesquiterpene alcohol with a two-ring skeleton. The hydroxyl group makes it cling, but its skeleton is less rigid than patchoulol’s, so it does not last as long.
Where else you meet it
Guaiac wood, juniper, tea tree. In tea tree oil it is one of the heavy components in the tail.
About the boiling-point figure
Boiling points of heavy molecules are often published at reduced pressure without the pressure being stated, because at atmospheric pressure many of them decompose before they boil. The value here is an estimate converted to atmospheric pressure, used to place the compound on the volatility axis, not a measurement. Why this detail matters