α-Santalol, also referred to as alpha-santalol, is an

organic compound In chemistry, organic compounds are generally any chemical compounds that contain carbon-hydrogen or carbon-carbon bonds. Due to carbon's ability to catenate (form chains with other carbon atoms), millions of organic compounds are known. T ...

that is classified as a

sesquiterpene Sesquiterpenes are a class of terpenes that consist of three isoprene units and often have the molecular formula C15H24. Like monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes may be cyclic or contain rings, including many unique combinations. Biochemical modificat ...

. It comprises about 55% of the oil of

sandalwood Sandalwood is a class of woods from trees in the genus ''Santalum''. The woods are heavy, yellow, and fine-grained, and, unlike many other aromatic woods, they retain their fragrance for decades. Sandalwood oil is extracted from the woods for us ...

, another less abundant component being β-santalol. As of 2002, about 60 tons of

sandalwood oil Sandalwood oil is an essential oil obtained from the steam distillation of chips and billets cut from the heartwood of various species of sandalwood trees, mainly ''Santalum album'' (Indian sandalwood) and ''Santalum spicatum'' (Australian sandal ...

are produced annually by steam distillation of the heartwood of ''

Santalum album ''Santalum album'', or Indian sandalwood, is a small tropical tree, and the traditional source of sandalwood oil. It is native to southern India and Southeast Asia. It is considered sacred in some religions like Hinduism, and some cultures plac ...

''. It is a valued component for perfumes. Because of concerns about the sustainability of sandalwood tree cultivation, scientists have developed routes to α-santalol and β-santalol via fermentation, including using ''

Rhodobacter sphaeroides ''Rhodobacter sphaeroides'' is a kind of purple bacterium; a group of bacteria that can obtain energy through photosynthesis. Its best growth conditions are anaerobic phototrophy ( photoheterotrophic and photoautotrophic) and aerobic chemoheter ...

''. BASF launched its version, Isiobionic Santalol, in July 2020. The oil content varies greatly within the different sandalwood species. This level is typically highest in ''S. album'', '' S. paniculatum'' and '' S. yasi''. The scent profile also changes considerably between the different species' oils.

References

Perfume ingredients Primary alcohols Sesquiterpenes Cyclopropanes {{alcohol-stub ru:Санталол