Delta Nonalactone
CAS: 3301-94-8
HeartGourmand
Identifiers
Manufacturer
—
CAS number
3301-94-8
CAS (all sources)
3301-94-8
CAS (Perfumiarz)
—
CAS (PerfumersWorld)
—
CAS (FraterWork)
3301-94-8
CAS (EU Hekserij)
—
CAS (TSCA Hekserij)
—
INCI name (FraterWork)
DELTA-NONALACTONE
IUPAC name (FraterWork)
6-butyltetrahydro-2H-pyran-2-one
INCI (Hekserij)
—
EC number (Hekserij)
—
FEMA (Hekserij)
—
UN number
—
Synonyms (PerfumersWorld)
—
Synonyms (FraterWork)
—
Scent profile
Note type (FraterWork)
Heart Note
Odour family (FraterWork)
Gourmand
Odour profile (FraterWork)
Delta nonalactone delivers a creamy, sweet coconut character with
fatty, milky facets and a distinctive coumarin-like undertone that sets it apart
from other coconut lactones.
Longevity (FraterWork)
Lasts > 24 hours on a smelling strip.
Appearance (FraterWork)
Colourless liquid
Descriptions
Comment (FraterWork)
Delta nonalactone presents coconut in its most naturalistic form—creamy, fatty,
and milky rather than synthetic or overtly sweet. This six-membered ring lactone
captures the essence of fresh coconut milk with remarkable authenticity. The
material's coumarin-like facet makes it invaluable for modern fougères where
traditional coumarin faces restrictions, providing that distinctive hay-sweet
warmth without regulatory concerns.
You'll find delta nonalactone particularly effective at dosages from trace
amounts up to 5% in concentrate, where it creates authentic tropical bases
superior to gamma nonalactone's more artificial sweetness. The material excels
in lavender and floral-aldehydic compounds where its coumarin character bridges
fresh aromatics with warm bases. Its fatty-milky quality transforms simple
vanilla accords into sophisticated crème brûlée effects, while in tropical
compositions it provides the exact coconut milk character that eludes other
lactones.
Layer delta nonalactone with sandalwood for creamy tropical woods, combine with
jasmine sambac for exotic white florals, or blend with real vanilla absolute for
indulgent gourmand bases. The material's stability and naturalness make it
perfect for compositions requiring authentic coconut without the piercing
sweetness that betrays synthetic origins. This lactone represents your best
choice when coconut must read as genuine rather than confectionery.
DELTA VS GAMMA VS BICYCLONONALACTONE
The nonalactone family showcases how subtle structural differences create
dramatically different olfactory profiles. Delta nonalactone, with its
six-membered ring structure (a δ-lactone), produces that characteristic
creamy-milky coconut with coumarin undertones. Gamma nonalactone (CAS 104-61-0),
despite sharing the same carbon count, forms a five-membered ring (γ-lactone)
that yields a more intense, sweet coconut with fruity-peach facets and higher
tenacity—lasting up to 300 hours on a blotter. While gamma reads as tropical
candy, delta maintains naturalistic depth. Many perfumers consider delta
superior for authentic coconut effects, finding gamma's intensity often veers
toward artificial sweetness.
Bicyclononalactone (CAS 4430-31-3) represents an entirely different
beast—technically octahydrocoumarin rather than a simple lactone. This bicyclic
structure creates a base note material with hay-tonka-vanilla character,
functioning more like a coumarin replacement than a coconut source. Where delta
and gamma nonalactones work as heart notes providing creamy-fruity lift,
bicyclononalactone anchors compositions with its twelve-hour longevity and
oriental warmth. Think of it as the woody-amber cousin in the family, adding
depth rather than tropical brightness.
THE LACTONE LANDSCAPE: DETERMINING CHARACTER
Understanding lactone behaviour requires examining how carbon chain length
affects odour. Gamma octalactone (C8) surprises with herbaceous, almost
cumin-like spiciness alongside its coconut character. Moving up to gamma
decalactone (C10), you encounter the archetypal peach note, while delta
decalactone splits the difference with creamy coconut-peach duality. Gamma
undecalactone (C11)—misleadingly called "Aldehyde C-14" since Mitsouko—delivers
the quintessential peach that quickly turns plasticky if overdosed. At the upper
end, gamma dodecalactone (C12) ventures into concentrated dairy territory,
suggesting curdled milk rather than fresh cream.
This progression reveals a fundamental principle: shorter chains lean
herbaceous-spicy, middle chains favour stone fruit, longer chains become
increasingly dairy-like and potentially overwhelming. Delta lactones
consistently read as creamier and more natural than their gamma counterparts
across all chain lengths. The delta configuration's six-membered ring creates a
softer, rounder profile that integrates more smoothly into compositions, while
gamma's five-membered ring produces more aggressive, attention-grabbing effects.
Choose your lactone based on whether you need naturalistic depth (delta) or
synthetic brilliance (gamma), and remember that chain length determines whether
you're working with herbs, fruits, or dairy notes.
aromachem Best Seller lactone
Notes
Delta nonalactone presents coconut in its most naturalistic form—creamy, fatty,
and milky rather than synthetic or overtly sweet. This six-membered ring lactone
captures the essence of fresh coconut milk with remarkable authenticity. The
material's coumarin-like facet makes it invaluable for modern fougères where
traditional coumarin faces restrictions, providing that distinctive hay-sweet
warmth without regulatory concerns.
You'll find delta nonalactone particularly effective at dosages from trace
amounts up to 5% in concentrate, where it creates authentic tropical bases
superior to gamma nonalactone's more artificial sweetness. The material excels
in lavender and floral-aldehydic compounds where its coumarin character bridges
fresh aromatics with warm bases. Its fatty-milky quality transforms simple
vanilla accords into sophisticated crème brûlée effects, while in tropical
compositions it provides the exact coconut milk character that eludes other
lactones.
Layer delta nonalactone with sandalwood for creamy tropical woods, combine with
jasmine sambac for exotic white florals, or blend with real vanilla absolute for
indulgent gourmand bases. The material's stability and naturalness make it
perfect for compositions requiring authentic coconut without the piercing
sweetness that betrays synthetic origins. This lactone represents your best
choice when coconut must read as genuine rather than confectionery.
DELTA VS GAMMA VS BICYCLONONALACTONE
The nonalactone family showcases how subtle structural differences create
dramatically different olfactory profiles. Delta nonalactone, with its
six-membered ring structure (a δ-lactone), produces that characteristic
creamy-milky coconut with coumarin undertones. Gamma nonalactone (CAS 104-61-0),
despite sharing the same carbon count, forms a five-membered ring (γ-lactone)
that yields a more intense, sweet coconut with fruity-peach facets and higher
tenacity—lasting up to 300 hours on a blotter. While gamma reads as tropical
candy, delta maintains naturalistic depth. Many perfumers consider delta
superior for authentic coconut effects, finding gamma's intensity often veers
toward artificial sweetness.
Bicyclononalactone (CAS 4430-31-3) represents an entirely different
beast—technically octahydrocoumarin rather than a simple lactone. This bicyclic
structure creates a base note material with hay-tonka-vanilla character,
functioning more like a coumarin replacement than a coconut source. Where delta
and gamma nonalactones work as heart notes providing creamy-fruity lift,
bicyclononalactone anchors compositions with its twelve-hour longevity and
oriental warmth. Think of it as the woody-amber cousin in the family, adding
depth rather than tropical brightness.
THE LACTONE LANDSCAPE: DETERMINING CHARACTER
Understanding lactone behaviour requires examining how carbon chain length
affects odour. Gamma octalactone (C8) surprises with herbaceous, almost
cumin-like spiciness alongside its coconut character. Moving up to gamma
decalactone (C10), you encounter the archetypal peach note, while delta
decalactone splits the difference with creamy coconut-peach duality. Gamma
undecalactone (C11)—misleadingly called "Aldehyde C-14" since Mitsouko—delivers
the quintessential peach that quickly turns plasticky if overdosed. At the upper
end, gamma dodecalactone (C12) ventures into concentrated dairy territory,
suggesting curdled milk rather than fresh cream.
This progression reveals a fundamental principle: shorter chains lean
herbaceous-spicy, middle chains favour stone fruit, longer chains become
increasingly dairy-like and potentially overwhelming. Delta lactones
consistently read as creamier and more natural than their gamma counterparts
across all chain lengths. The delta configuration's six-membered ring creates a
softer, rounder profile that integrates more smoothly into compositions, while
gamma's five-membered ring produces more aggressive, attention-grabbing effects.
Choose your lactone based on whether you need naturalistic depth (delta) or
synthetic brilliance (gamma), and remember that chain length determines whether
you're working with herbs, fruits, or dairy notes.
aromachem Best Seller lactone
Usage
Uses (FraterWork)
Essential for natural coconut accords, coumarin substitution in fougères,
creamy bases in tropical compositions.
IFRA 51 (FraterWork)
No restriction for category 4
Odour Family: Gourmand
Appearance: Colourless liquid
Longevity: Lasts > 24 hours on a smelling strip.
Odour Profile: Delta nonalactone delivers a creamy, sweet coconut character with
fatty, milky facets and a distinctive coumarin-like undertone that sets it apart
from other coconut lactones.
Uses: Essential for natural coconut accords, coumarin substitution in fougères,
creamy bases in tropical compositions.
INCI Name: DELTA-NONALACTONE
IUPAC Name: 6-butyltetrahydro-2H-pyran-2-one
Links
Comments
Sign in to leave a comment.