Cumaldehyde

(also cumic aldehyde, para-isopropyl-benzaldehyde), a colorless liquid which at high dilution has a caraway odor. Boiling point, 235°C; density, 0.9778 g/cm³ (20°C); and refractive index, n_D²⁰, 1.5301. Its structural formula is

Cumaldehyde is insoluble in water and readily soluble in ethanol and ether. It is found in cinnamon-bark oil (Ceylon cinnamon oil) and other essential oils. In industry it is obtained by the oxidation of p-cymene. Cumaldehyde is used in perfumery.