Mesitylene (1,3,5-trimethylbenzene) has a sharp, solvent-like aromatic hydrocarbon odor reminiscent of xylene or gasoline, with a faint sweet undertone. It is not a typical perfumery material and is more commonly encountered as an industrial solvent than as a fragrance ingredient.AI · claude-opus-4-7
Composition, IFRA restriction figures, allergen concentrations and where this material is bought are part of Perfume Foundry’s curated library and need an account. Create one or sign in.
Perfume and Flavor Chemicals, page 790.
Colorless liquid.
Insoluble in water, soluble in alcohol, miscible with oils.
Aromatic-herbaceous, ethereal odor, comparatively diffusive, reminiscent of Thyme, overall pleasant, not as gassy as Cymene.
This hydrocarbon has occasionally been used as a masking agent in industrial fragrances, e.g. solvent masks, etc. Its use in perfumery is very limited, partly due to its odor type, partly because the material is rather volatile and difficult to tame by fixation.
1) from Acetone by dehydration with sulfuric acid. 2) also isolated from coal tar naphta.