FEMA 2877

Chemical properties

2-Benzyl-1,3-dioxolan-4-methanol is not found in nature. It is a colorless, slightly viscous liquid, d²⁰₄ 1.154–1.162, n²⁰_D 1.529–1.534, with a tenacious honey, cyclamen, and rose note. It is prepared by acetalization of phenylacetaldehyde with glycerine.

Chemical properties

Phenylacetaldehyde glyceryl acetal has a faint, sweet, rosy odor and a sweet green flavor.

Occurrence

Has apparently not been reported to occur in nature.

The Uses of FEMA 2877

2-Benzyl-5-hydroxymethyl-1,3-dioxolane has very pleasant effects when used in sufficiently high concentration in Rose, Chypre, Hyacinth, Lilac, etc. as an “undertone” material. It is excellent for “forest “-green undertones in Muguet, or for the deep-green leafy notes of Lilac, but it needs supporting notes, and it is not a powerful odorant. It is also used in flavor compositions as a fixative in certain fruit types, and in “floral” flavor types as a bouquetting material in traces. The concentration used is about 5 to 20 ppm in the finished product.

Preparation

From phenylacetaldehyde and glycerol.

Definition

ChEBI: 2-Benzyl-5-hydroxymethyl-1,3-dioxolane is a member of benzenes.

Toxicity evaluation

The acute oral LD₅₀ value in rats was reported as 1.72 ml/kg (1.57-1.87 ml/kg) and the acute dermal LD₅₀ value in rabbits exceeded 2 g/kg (Moreno, 1972). The ip LD₅₀ for mice was found to be 2.7 ± 0.23 mmol/kg (523.8 ± 44.62 mg/kg) and the mean paralysing dose (ED50) for ip administration to mice was found to be 0.77 + 0.07 mmol/kg (Berger, 1951).

Flammability and Explosibility

Non flammable

Trade name

Acetal CD (Givaudan).

Metabolism

Acetals hydrolyse readily in the presence of acids to generate the corresponding aldehydes and alcohols (Fassett, 1963).