Javanol™ – The Most Powerful Sandalwood Molecule
Javanol™ by Givaudan – The Complete Reference
For over a hundred years, perfumery has been searching for a sandalwood that can be manufactured. Javanol™ is the most recent and at the same time the most radical attempt so far: not a copy of the natural material, but a molecule that isolates and amplifies precisely the facet for which sandalwood is coveted in the first place. This reference explains what it is chemically, why it smells the way it does, and how to work with it.
Contents
- What is Javanol™?
- The name: Java
- Sixty-five years in one table
- What does it smell like?
- The rosy facet – and what is actually documented about it
- The chemistry: why a three-membered ring
- Role in the formula
- What it is made from
- The race for sandalwood
- Javanol™ and Javanol™ Super
- Javanol™ in a leading role
- Handling: crystallisation and storage
- Quick reference: chemistry and safety
- Further questions
1. What is Javanol™?
Javanol™ (CAS 198404-98-7) is a synthetic cyclopropyl alcohol with the molecular formula C₁₅H₂₆O and a molecular weight of 222.37 g/mol. Its full chemical name is (1-methyl-2-(1,2,2-trimethylbicyclo[3.1.0]hex-3-ylmethyl)cyclopropyl)methanol; commercially, the material is supplied as a mixture of diastereoisomers.
Two structural features explain almost everything about Javanol™. First, two cyclopropane rings – strained three-membered ring structures that are rare in aroma chemicals. Second, the complete absence of double bonds. In aroma chemicals, double bonds are the typical weak point: they oxidise, they are attacked by bleach, they yellow. Javanol™ has none – and is therefore stable in almost every application base.
The published odour threshold is 0.02 ng/l (Gautschi, Bajgrowicz & Kraft, CHIMIA 2001, 55, 379–387, Fig. 3). That is the lowest value reported for a sandalwood molecule. Bajgrowicz himself puts it this way: the threshold is "the lowest of all reported sandalwood-smelling odorants and more than twenty times lower than that of (Z)-(−)-β-santalol" (Perfumer & Flavorist 2007, 32, January, 32–37).
2. The name: Java
The name is not a marketing invention but a dedication. Jerzy A. Bajgrowicz, the chemist who developed the molecule, explained it himself: the name was chosen to recall the "excellent quality of Javanese sandalwood oil", which is "unfortunately no longer available for perfumery creations".
The molecule is thus named after what it is meant to replace. Anyone who knows the name hears a memory in it.
3. Sixty-five years in one table
The published odour thresholds of sandalwood odorants can be read as a series – as the chronicle of a long race (source: CHIMIA 2001, Fig. 3):
| Material | Year | Odour threshold |
|---|---|---|
| (−)-(Z)-β-Santalol (natural) | 1935 | 0.5 ng/l |
| Sandela | 1960 | 8.3 ng/l |
| Osyrol | 1973 | 49 ng/l |
| Sandalore™ | 1976 | 3.1 ng/l |
| Sandal Mysore Core | 1978 | 0.1 ng/l |
| Polysantol | 1984 | 0.2 ng/l |
| Ebanol™ | 1986 | 0.2 ng/l |
| Javanol™ | 2000 | 0.02 ng/l |
The first decades are remarkable: the early synthetics were weaker than the natural material. Only the derivatives of campholenic aldehyde – the family around Sandalore™, Polysantol and Ebanol™ – overtook nature. Javanol™ stands at the end of this series.
4. What does it smell like?
Givaudan's official sensory profile lists four descriptors: woody, sandalwood, creamy, rose – plus powerful.
Bajgrowicz describes the profile more precisely: close to β-santalol, with a dry-woody, slightly vetiver-like nuance and additional floral-rosy as well as creamy-musky facets.
Over time the layers separate: the rose evaporates first, leaving milky warmth – sandalwood reduced to its core. On a blotter, the material remains perceptible for over a month.
A practical note on evaluation: smelling Javanol™ neat from the bottle is misleading. At this threshold the impression is overloaded and the rosy facet can hardly be separated from the woody one. A dilution of 1% or below makes sense – only there does it become clear what the material actually does in a formula.
5. The rosy facet – and what is actually documented about it
That Javanol™ has a rosy facet is undisputed: it appears in the manufacturer's sensory profile and in Bajgrowicz's own description.
One explanation for it is widely repeated: Javanol™ fits the sandalwood receptors so well that it saturates them already at low concentration; after that, less specific receptors join in, coding among other things for lactonic notes, rose, lily of the valley and grapefruit.
This explanation comes from an interview with the fragrance chemist Philip Kraft, published on a perfume brand's blog. It is plausible and comes from a recognised expert – but it is not published in the scientific literature, and it does not appear in the relevant papers by Bajgrowicz, Fráter and Kraft. We therefore present it as an interpretation, not as an established mechanism.
Equally widespread, but not traceable to any source, is the claim that Javanol™ "tips into rose when overdosed". What remains in practice: if you do not want the rosy side, dose lower or balance it with lactones, ambers and dry woody materials.
6. The chemistry: why a three-membered ring
Almost all sandalwood-smelling molecules can be broken down into three building blocks – in Bajgrowicz's words "the so-called osmophoric polar hydroxyl group, connected via a spacer to a bulky, lipophilic residue":
- a polar hydroxyl group – the osmophore, the part that addresses the receptor
- a spacer – the flexible middle section
- a large, lipophilic residue – the bulk of the molecule
Because the overall shape of such a molecule depends above all on the spacer, precisely this part became the subject of the investigations at Givaudan. Bajgrowicz replaced the double bond in the spacer with a cyclopropane ring – a "rigidifying and electron-rich" structure. The three-membered ring retains the rigidity of the double bond while changing the electron distribution; Kraft and colleagues write that the two cyclopropane rings "modify the electronic shape in a favourable way". An odorant receptor does not perceive the silhouette of a molecule, but its electronic shape.
The simultaneous introduction of a second three-membered ring into the bulky part proved, according to Bajgrowicz, to be "even better". The best product of this series was named Javanol™.
An important limitation: this trick is not a general recipe. Stappen and co-workers carried out the same substitution on β-santalol itself – double bond replaced by cyclopropane – and the sandalwood odour disappeared completely: the (Z)-isomer smelled spicy-sweet, the (E)-isomer merely woody (Eur. J. Med. Chem. 2008, 43, 1525–1529). Javanol™ is therefore not the result of a rule, but a hit.
Industrially, the molecule is produced via a double Simmons-Smith cyclopropanation – according to CHIMIA 2001 "a rarity in the chemical industry". The yield of this step in the patent specification is 48%.
7. Role in the formula
The official use level ranges from traces to 2% in the concentrate. The figure that matters in practice is a different one: already below 0.1% Javanol™ brings fullness and creaminess to almost any accord. Givaudan states that in wash tests the material is roughly eight times more effective than the strongest known competing sandalwood product.
This gives rise to two distinct ways of using it:
- As a sandalwood note – in sandalwood accords, woody bases and reconstructions, there usually in the range of 0.1 to 2%.
- As a radiant fixative – in traces below 0.1%, where Javanol™ carries musky, floral and spicy accords and gives them volume without itself becoming recognisable as sandalwood.
The second use is often underestimated. A white-floral accord with 0.05% Javanol™ does not smell of sandalwood – it just smells fuller and lasts longer.
How perfumers work with it
Every piece of sandalwood work starts from a sober fact: the smell of natural sandalwood oil cannot be reproduced with a single molecule. It unfolds during evaporation and behaves differently in every application base. That is why one works with a mixture of several synthetic sandalwood materials, whose composition depends on the performance required.
Javanol™ serves as the backbone. It is complemented by more diffusive materials from the families around Polysantol and Ebanol™, with which the desired effect can be set precisely.
Three dosage notes from the practice of Givaudan perfumers:
- As little as 0.02% acts as a booster: additional volume and better substantivity for a classically built sandalwood composition.
- In chypres and in floral bouquets of a jasmine- or rose-dominated type, a very small amount enhances richness and supports heart and base alike.
- Added to musk – in parts per ten thousand – it reinforces its warmth and gives the whole composition a kind of vibration. In detergents this effect is perceptible on both damp and dry laundry.
Documented synergy
Givaudan lists one official combination: 20% Javanol™ with 80% Nectaryl. The result is described as the impression of a freshly sharpened pencil, enriched by surprising peach and patchouli inflections.
Stability by application base
| Base | pH | Stability |
|---|---|---|
| Fabric softener | 3 | very good |
| Antiperspirant | 3.5 | very good |
| Shampoo | 6 | very good |
| All-purpose cleaner | 9 | very good |
| Liquid detergent | 9 | very good |
| Soap | 10 | very good |
| Powder detergent | 10.5 | very good |
| Acid cleaner | 2 | medium |
| Liquid bleach | 11 | not suitable |
The only real limitation is liquid bleach. In all other tested bases Javanol™ achieves the top rating – a breadth that is unusual among sandalwood materials.
8. What it is made from
The starting material is α-pinene – a constituent of turpentine obtained from pine trees. From it, campholenic aldehyde is produced, which the patent specification describes as "the most important starting material for the synthesis of synthetic odorants with the odour profile of sandalwood oil". The core of the molecule therefore comes from one of the most common tree species of the northern hemisphere, not from petroleum.
Givaudan accordingly reports over 50% renewable carbon for Javanol™. The same assessment, however, also records that the material is not biodegradable and is toxic to aquatic life – a candour on the manufacturer's part that is rarely found and that should be taken seriously when working with it (see quick reference).
Background: Santalum album, the source of Indian sandalwood oil, is listed by the IUCN as vulnerable; India largely prohibits its export and only allows carvings of up to 50 g to be exported. Frequently misrepresented: Santalum album is not listed under CITES. Appendix II lists red sandalwood, Pterocarpus santalinus – a different genus.
9. The race for sandalwood
Javanol™ stands at the end of a long line. Knowing that line makes it clear why the molecule looks the way it does.
In the late 1930s a chance finding led to mixtures of terpenylcyclohexanols that smelled of sandalwood. Because of the war, they reached the market only in 1960 – as Sandela (Givaudan). The absolute configuration of their most important odorant constituents was not published until 1997: the material was thus sold for decades before it was established exactly what in it actually smells.
In 1973 Osyrol followed as the next milestone.
The real breakthrough came with the derivatives of α-campholenic aldehyde, patented in the GDR in 1968. The odour description in the patent was misleadingly restrained – "resembles musk and sandalwood" – while the lineage was in fact unmistakably sandalwood. Most of the sandalwood materials in common use today still come from this family.
This template was then improved step by step: Sandalore™ (Givaudan), Polysantol (Firmenich), Ebanol™ (Givaudan).
Philip Kraft, fragrance chemist at Givaudan, describes the situation in the nineties as a kind of arms race: Givaudan had Sandela, Radjanol and Ebanol, IFF had Bacdanol, Sanjinol and Santaliff, Kao had Santal Mysore Core, Symrise had Brahmanol, Sandel 80 and Sandranol, and Firmenich had a very successful candidate in Polysantol.
Then came Javanol™ – and the race was largely decided. Kraft adds an important qualification: not because the other sandalwoods had been superseded. They had not, and there is ample room for variations. Javanol™ simply fitted the receptors better than anything before it.
The patent situation in plain terms, because it is consistently misreported online: Javanol™ is the subject of European application EP 0 801 049 B1 "Cyclopentanebutanol derivatives as odorants" – applicant Givaudan-Roure (International) S.A., inventors Jerzy A. Bajgrowicz and Georg Fráter, priority April 1996, filed 29 March 1997, granted 21 November 2001. The US equivalent is US 5 929 291, filed on 9 April 1997 and granted on 27 July 1999.
The frequently cited numbers US 5 707 961 and EP 0 743 297 do not belong to Javanol™ but to the Georgywood family (acyl-octahydronaphthalenes) – a completely different class of substances without cyclopropane chemistry.
The patent specification itself says of the compound that it has "the most natural, strongest and most tenacious sandalwood odour, superior to all existing synthetic (commercial) raw materials with a sandalwood odour". The odour description in the examples reads: "sandalwood, very natural, floral, creamy, powdery, very strong and long-lasting".
10. Javanol™ and Javanol™ Super
Givaudan lists two qualities under separate codes. Chemically they are the same: same CAS number, same chemical name, in both cases a mixture of diastereoisomers, same physico-chemical values.
The difference lies in the profile. Javanol™ emphasises fresh, rosy-powdery facets. Javanol™ Super emphasises lactonic-cedarwood ones more strongly. A Givaudan perfumer sums it up: Javanol™ when a rosy sandalwood note is needed; Javanol™ Super when a woodier one is expected. Power and richness are comparable in both.
One widely repeated claim is wrong: Javanol™ Super is not an isolated single isomer. The manufacturer explicitly lists it as a mixture of diastereoisomers, with the same CAS number as the standard product.
11. Javanol™ in a leading role
Perfume formulas are trade secrets, which is why most attributions online remain unsupported. One case, however, is documented, because there the molecule is the concept.
Molecule 04 and Escentric 04 by Escentric Molecules, composed by Geza Schoen. The brand itself writes: "Molecule 04 consists of Javanol, pure and single"; Escentric 04 places grapefruit, juniper, osmanthus, rose, mastic and labdanum, among others, alongside the molecule.
The brand works on the principle of putting individual fragrance molecules centre stage. The first perfume built entirely around a single synthetic substance is generally taken to be Velvione in Helmut Lang Velviona of 2001.
12. Handling: crystallisation and storage
Javanol™ has a peculiarity that irritates many users the first time: it crystallises. When stored cool, the material may turn cloudy or form solid crystals. The manufacturer explicitly points this out and recommends warming the container to around 40 °C before use and mixing it thoroughly once.
This is not a quality defect and affects neither odour nor performance. It is a physical property of the material.
Two practical consequences:
- Warm before weighing. Taking material from a partially crystallised container means taking a fraction – not the material as specified.
- Store warm. Givaudan recommends storage at around 40 °C, dry, well ventilated, protected from light, containers as full as possible and hermetically sealed.
Shelf life is 24 months from manufacture.
13. Quick reference: chemistry and safety
| CAS no. | 198404-98-7 |
| EC no. | 427-900-1 |
| Molecular formula | C₁₅H₂₆O |
| Molecular weight | 222.37 g/mol |
| Odour threshold | 0.02 ng/l (CHIMIA 2001) |
| Patent | EP 0 801 049 B1 / US 5 929 291 (Bajgrowicz & Fráter) |
| Density (20 °C) | 0.947 g/cm³ |
| Refractive index (20 °C) | 1.4850–1.4920 |
| Optical rotation | +19.0 to +30.0° |
| Purity | Sum of the two peaks ≥ 85% (ISO 7609) |
| Melting point | < −50 °C |
| Boiling point | 268 °C (1013 hPa) |
| Flash point | 136 °C |
| Auto-ignition | 255 °C |
| Log Pow | 4.5 |
| Water solubility | 3.8 mg/l (20 °C) |
| Viscosity (dyn., 20 °C) | 67.2 mPa·s |
| Starting material | α-pinene (pine turpentine) |
| Country of origin | Switzerland |
Safety: Javanol™ is classified under CLP as hazardous to the aquatic environment – Aquatic Acute 1 (H400) and Aquatic Chronic 1 (H410), signal word "Warning", pictogram GHS09. There are no classifications for human health: no acute toxicity, no skin or eye irritation, no skin or respiratory sensitisation, no mutagenicity, carcinogenicity or reproductive toxicity. Oral and dermal LD50 in the rat are each above 2,000 mg/kg.
Environment: The material is not rapidly degradable. Ecotoxicological values: LC50 fish 1.02 mg/l, EC50 Daphnia magna 0.38 mg/l, EC50 algae (72 h) 0.33 mg/l, chronic NOEC fish 0.055 mg/l. Residues and rinse water must not enter the sewer system.
Transport: UN 3082, class 9, packing group III, marine pollutant.
Frequently asked questions about Javanol™
Why is my Javanol™ cloudy or solid?
Because it crystallises – a known property of the material, not a defect. Warm the container to around 40 °C and mix once; afterwards it is clear again and ready to use, unchanged.
Why does a sandalwood molecule smell of rose?
The rosy facet is part of the official odour profile. The explanation in circulation – saturation of the sandalwood receptors, after which less specific receptors join in – comes from an interview with Philip Kraft on a brand blog and is not published in the scientific literature. We present it as an interpretation, not as an established mechanism.
What dosage should be used?
Officially from traces to 2%. In practice the effect is already clear below 0.1%. Because of the extremely low odour threshold, always work with a dilution – 1% or below for initial evaluation.
What distinguishes Javanol™ from Sandalore™?
Power and character. According to the published threshold values, Javanol™ is at 0.02 ng/l and Sandalore™ at 3.1 ng/l – a difference of more than one hundred and fifty times. Sandalore™ emphasises the warm, sweet side of sandalwood and is used at considerably higher concentrations (0.5–10%). The two are not mutually exclusive but occupy different facets of the same theme.
What is the difference to Javanol™ Super?
Chemically none – same CAS number, in both cases a mixture of diastereoisomers. In profile, Javanol™ emphasises the rosy-powdery side, Javanol™ Super the lactonic-cedarwood side.
Is Javanol™ a sandalwood substitute?
Not in the sense of a reconstruction. Javanol™ does not replicate natural sandalwood oil; it isolates and amplifies its central creamy-milky facet. Anyone seeking a complete sandalwood impression combines it with other materials.
Is it true that Javanol™ promotes wound healing?
No. The well-known study on the odorant receptor OR2AT4 in human skin cells (Busse et al., J. Invest. Dermatol. 2014) was carried out with Sandalore™. Javanol™ was among the structures tested alongside it, but was not identified there as an agonist – the only other possible agonist named in the paper is Brahmanol.
In which applications is Javanol™ unsuitable?
Only in liquid bleach (pH 11). In all other tested bases – from fabric softener through shampoo and soap to powder detergent – it shows very good stability.
Is Javanol™ biodegradable?
No. The material is not rapidly degradable and is toxic to aquatic life (H410). At the same time, the manufacturer reports over 50% renewable carbon, since the core of the molecule comes from pine turpentine. When working with the material, residues and rinse water should not enter the sewer system.