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. The ...

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 modificatio ...

. 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 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 of the ...

. As of 2002, about 60 tons of sandalwood oil are produced annually 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''. 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

via fermentation, including using '' Rhodobacter sphaeroides''. 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