Dimethyl adipate (CAS 627-93-0) — Sweet Base Note Fragrance Ingredient
Dimethyl adipate
CAS 627-93-0
What Is Dimethyl adipate?
Dimethyl adipate is a synthetic ester commonly used as a solvent and fragrance ingredient in personal care products. It’s found in perfumes, lotions, and other cosmetic formulations where it helps blend other fragrance components. While not a dominant scent itself, it plays a crucial role in stabilizing volatile top notes and extending the longevity of floral and fruity accords in modern perfumery.
Safety Profile
GENERALLY SAFEWhat Does Dimethyl adipate Smell Like?
Dimethyl adipate presents a faint, clean ester-like character with subtle fruity undertones reminiscent of green apples or unripe pears. Its odor is neutral-to-sweet, serving primarily as a transparent bridge between brighter top notes and deeper heart accords. The molecule lacks strong olfactory impact but contributes diffusion and lift to fragrance compositions, evaporating cleanly without leaving residual harshness. In dilution, it can impart a barely perceptible waxy-fresh nuance similar to freshly laundered cotton.
In Famous Fragrances
Fragrance associations may not reflect actual formulations.
Used as a solvent and fixative to enhance the laundry-fresh accord while maintaining transparency.
Helps balance the musk-ambrette base with its neutral ester character.
Contributes to the fruity-pineapple top note diffusion without adding weight.
2D Molecular Structure
SMILES: COC(=O)CCCCC(=O)OC
Chemistry, Properties & Perfumer Guide
The Chemistry
Dimethyl adipate is a diester formed from adipic acid and methanol. As a linear aliphatic ester, it belongs to the same chemical family as many fruit esters but with higher molecular weight for reduced volatility. Industrial production typically involves direct esterification of adipic acid with methanol under acidic catalysis. The molecule lacks chirality due to its symmetrical structure, making synthetic production straightforward without stereochemical considerations.
Physical & Chemical Properties
| Appearance | Colorless liquid |
|---|---|
| Boiling Point | 215-220 °C |
| Density | 1.06 g/cm³ |
| Flash Point | 107 °C |
Perfumer Guide
| Application | Typical % | Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fine Fragrance | 1-5% | Up to 10% | Fixative/solvent |
| Personal Care | 0.5-3% | Up to 5% | Emollient carrier |
Classic Accords
Tip: Use to solubilize crystalline materials like coumarin without adding significant odor.
Alternatives & Comparisons
Higher-boiling alternative with slightly fruitier character.
Shorter-chain ester for brighter compositions.
Safety, Regulatory & Sustainability
⚠ Regulatory Disclaimer
General reference only. Consult current IFRA Standards Library before formulating.
IFRA Status
Not restricted under current IFRA standards.
RIFM Assessment
RIFM assessment confirms safe use at current industry levels.
Sustainability
As a petroleum-derived ester, dimethyl adipate’s environmental impact stems from its synthetic origin. However, its high efficiency and low usage levels mitigate footprint concerns. Some manufacturers are exploring bio-based routes using fermented adipic acid precursors to improve sustainability profiles.
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References
Data: PubChem (NIH), PubMed, RIFM, IFRA. Last reviewed: Apr 2026.
Report a data errorIngredient Data Sheet
CAS 627-93-0Physical Properties
| Molecular Weight | 174.19 g/mol🔬 PubChem |
| LogP (Octanol-Water) | 1🔬 PubChem |
| Boiling Point | 109 °C🔬 EPA CompTox |
| Vapor Pressure | 0.019 mmHg @ 25°C📊 OPERA |
| Flash Point | 107.2 °C🔬 EPA CompTox |
| Involatility Index | 0.0015💻 Calculated |
| log Kp (skin permeability) | -3.053💻 Calculated |
| SMILES | COC(=O)CCCCC(=O)OC🔬 PubChem |
Volatility & Performance
| Fragrance Note | Heart💻 Calculated |
| Volatility Class | Very slow💻 Calculated |
| Persistence Score | 2.3 / 5💻 Calculated |
Odor & Flavor
| Primary Descriptors | fruitysweet• leffingwell |
| Functional Groups | esterether💻 RDKit |
| “2.5-Dimethyl-2,5-hexanediol Faint, camphorlike odor. This material has been used as a solvent in CH3 fH3 certain fragrance types, but the author be- I lieves that the use of subject material is cH3–c–cH~–cH~–c –cH3 practically abandoned in perfumery and &H AH flavors. It Powerful and, when undiluted, pungent, finds a little use in the construction of arti- sweet-fatty-oily odor, in dilution more p”📖 Arctander | |
Physical data: PubChem (NIH/NLM), U.S. EPA CompTox Dashboard, EPA OPERA models, RDKit. Odor & flavor: Arctander (Perfume & Flavor Chemicals), Fenaroli's Handbook of Flavor Ingredients, Leffingwell. Thresholds: van Gemert (Compilations of Odour Threshold Values). Regulatory: IFRA Standards 51st, FEMA GRAS. Trade names: Surburg (Common Fragrance & Flavor Materials). All data compiled and cross-referenced for perfumertools.com.
Physicochemical Properties
DTXSID: DTXSID8025096
Physical Properties
| Molecular Weight | 174.196 g/mol🔬 EPA CompTox |
| Density | 1.062 g/cm^3🔬 EPA CTX |
| Boiling Point | 230.9 °C🔬 EPA CTX |
| Melting Point | 8.764 °C🔬 EPA CTX |
| Flash Point | 109.963 °C🔬 EPA CTX |
| Refractive Index | 1.423 Dimensionless📊 OPERA |
| Molar Volume | 167.554 cm^3/mol📊 OPERA |
Partition & Solubility
| LogP (Octanol-Water) | 1.064 Log10 unitless🔬 EPA CTX |
| LogD (pH 5.5) | 1.094 Log10 unitless📊 OPERA |
| LogD (pH 7.4) | 1.094 Log10 unitless📊 OPERA |
| LogKoa (Octanol-Air) | 4.74 Log10 unitless📊 OPERA |
| Water Solubility | 0.027 mol/L🔬 EPA CTX |
| Henry's Law Constant | 0 atm-m3/mole🔬 EPA CTX |
Transport Properties
| Vapor Pressure | 0.033 mmHg🔬 EPA CTX |
| Viscosity | 1.384 cP📊 OPERA |
| Surface Tension | 31.965 dyn/cm📊 OPERA |
| Thermal Conductivity | 144.399 mW/(m*K)📊 OPERA |
Molecular Descriptors
| Topological Polar Surface Area | 52.6 Ų💻 Computed |
| H-Bond Donors | 0 count💻 Computed |
| H-Bond Acceptors | 4 count💻 Computed |
| Rotatable Bonds | 5 count💻 Computed |
| Aromatic Rings | 0 count💻 Computed |
| Molar Refractivity | 42.662 cm^3/mol📊 OPERA |
| Polarizability | 16.912 Å^3📊 OPERA |
Data Sources:
🔬 EPA Experimental data from U.S. EPA CompTox Chemicals Dashboard & CTX APIs. 📊 OPERA Predicted using EPA's OPERA QSAR models. 💻 Computed Calculated from SMILES using RDKit.
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