β-Santalol is an
organic compound that is classified as a
sesquiterpene. It comprises about 20% of the oil of
sandalwood, the major component being
α-santalol. In 2002, about 60 tons of sandalwood oil were produced by
steam distillation
Steam distillation is a separation process that consists in distilling water together with other volatile and non-volatile components. The steam from the boiling water carries the vapor of the volatiles to a condenser; both are cooled and ret ...
of the heartwood of ''
Santalum album''.
[Karl-Georg Fahlbusch, Franz-Josef Hammerschmidt, Johannes Panten, Wilhelm Pickenhagen, Dietmar Schatkowski, Kurt Bauer, Dorothea Garbe, Horst Surburg "Flavors and Fragrances" in ''Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry'', Wiley-VCH, Weinheim: 2002. Published online: 15 January 2003; .]
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''. BASF launched its version, Isiobionic Santalol, in July 2020.
References
Perfume ingredients
Primary alcohols
Sesquiterpenes
Bicyclic compounds
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