Ethyl furaneol

Chemical properties

Colorless to light yellow liqui

Chemical properties

2-Ethyl-4-hydroxy-5-methyl-3(2H)-furanone has been identified in, for example, coffee and melon. The tautomer mixture is a clear slightly yellowish liquid, bp0.02 kPa 82–83°C, d²⁰₄ 1.137, n²⁰_D 1.511 with sweet, caramel, fruity, bread-like odor.

Chemical properties

2-Ethyl-4-hydroxy-5-methyl-3(2H)-furanone has a sweet, fruity, caramel, butterscotch odor.

Occurrence

Reported found in soy sauce, Swiss cheese and melon, coffee, shoyu, strawberry and pineapple.

Preparation

One commercially applied synthesis is the condensation of 2-pentene nitrile with ethyl lactate followed by oxidation of the intermediate 4-cyano-5-ethyl-2-methyldihydro-3(2H)-furanone with monoperoxysulfate.

Definition

ChEBI: 2-ethyl-4-hydroxy-5-methyl-3(2H)-furanone is a member of the class of furans that is furan-3(2H)-one carrying additional ethyl, hydroxy and methyl substituents at positions 2, 4 and 5 respectively. A key aroma compound in soy sauce and fish sauce. It has a role as a Saccharomyces cerevisiae metabolite. It is a cyclic ketone, an enol and a member of furans.

Aroma threshold values

Detection: 20 ppb

Taste threshold values

Taste characteristics at 20 ppm: burnt, caramellic, sweet and fruity