Compounds · Alcohols · Terpenoid pathway
Patchoulol
Earth, damp wood, deep sweetness. This is the compound that defines the smell of patchouli.
- CAS
- 5986-55-0
- Formula
- C15H26O
- Molar mass
- 222.37
- Odour threshold
- —
- Boiling point
- ≈ 287 °C estimated
Where it comes from
Biosynthetic pathway: Terpenoid pathway — plants build them from identical five-carbon blocks.
Why it sits where it does
An extremely rigid four-ring skeleton plus a hydroxyl group — a combination that gives one of the most tenacious molecules in the aromatics industry.
Where else you meet it
Patchouli leaves. Remarkably, patchouli oil becomes more valuable the longer it is kept, because the light compounds evaporate and the share of patchoulol rises.
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