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 α-Santalol, also referred to as alpha-santalol, is an organic compound that is classified as a sesquiterpene. It comprises about 55% of the oil of sandalwood, another less abundant component being β-santalol. As of 2002, about 60 tons of s ...

. 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

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 {{alcohol-stub