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Isolongifolene (CAS: 1135-66-6) is a tricyclic sesquiterpene hydrocarbon with the molecular formula C₁₅H₂₄ and a molecular weight of 204.35 g/mol. It appears as a colorless to pale yellow clear liquid, is insoluble in water, and is fully soluble in organic solvents such as ethanol and ether. Characterized by a distinctive woody‑amber incense odor and excellent stability, it has become one of the most valuable base notes in modern perfumery. Its rigid, bulky aromatic backbone can be easily epoxidized and functionalized, making it a key industrial intermediate for the production of high‑value derivatives: isolongifolenone, a potent insect repellent against disease‑carrying mosquitoes and ticks; isolongifolanone, a woody‑amber fragrance fixative; and a range of advanced cosmetic ingredients.

Within the circular bio‑economy framework, Isolongifolene is produced by the catalytic isomerization of Longifolene, a natural sesquiterpene extracted from heavy turpentine oil — a renewable, non‑edible forestry by‑product. Annual production in China alone exceeds 5,000 metric tons, making it one of the most abundant and economically viable platform molecules derived from forestry waste.

Core Application Fields and Market Demand

Isolongifolene is a three‑pillar industrial intermediate, with demand split across three major application sectors: fragrance intermediate for synthetic woody‑amber materials (≈55‑60% of total consumption), precursor for advanced insect repellents (≈20‑25%), and cosmetic & personal care ingredient (≈10‑15%).

1. Fragrance Intermediate (≈55‑60% of total demand). Isolongifolene is the critical industrial feedstock for synthesizing a family of high‑value fragrance materials with woody‑amber, sandalwood, cedar and ambergris‑like profiles. The key derivatives include:

Isolongifolanone: a powerful woody‑amber fixative and fragrance ingredient used extensively in soaps, laundry detergents, fabric softeners, deodorants, fine perfumery and space sprays, where it boosts longevity and adds a diffusive, elegant woody character.
Isolongifolene epoxide: employed for converting the rigid sesquiterpene backbone into cosmetic-grade polymers and skin‑conditioning agents.
Isolongifolenyl acetate and other esters: versatile woody bases that blend seamlessly into contemporary masculine and unisex fine‑fragrance accords.
Isolongifolenol and hydroxymethyl isolongifolene: used as intermediates for more polar fragrance derivatives and high‑substantivity cosmetic ingredients.

The fragrance industry, and especially the woody‑amber scent segment, is experiencing sustained growth driven by rising consumer demand for long‑lasting, complex base notes in premium and luxury perfumery. The global aroma chemicals market stood at approximately USD 5.8 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 9.9 billion by 2034, at a CAGR of 5.4 %. The specific segment of woody‑amber synthetic intermediates is growing at a faster pace, as the industry transitions away from limited natural sandalwood and cedarwood oils.

2. Precursor for Advanced Insect Repellents (≈20‑25% of total demand). Through a single‑step, high‑yield oxidation, Isolongifolene is converted into (−)-Isolongifolenone, which has been shown in multiple peer‑reviewed laboratory bioassays to significantly outperform DEET (N,N‑diethyl‑3‑methyl benzamide) in deterring the biting of Aedes aegypti (yellow fever and dengue vector) and Anopheles stephensi (urban malaria vector). Isolongifolenone’s repellency also extends to disease‑carrying ticks, and it exhibits no neurological or skin irritation issues at effective concentrations. The structural rigidity and large hydrophobic surface area of the Isolongifolene backbone are the molecular origins of this superior repellent potency. Consequently, Isolongifolene is a core building block in several commercial eco‑friendly mosquito repellent product lines, as regulatory pressure on traditional synthetic repellents, such as DEET, continues to tighten.

3. Cosmetic & Personal Care Ingredient (≈10‑15% of total demand). Isolongifolene and its hydrogenated derivatives serve as natural emollients, skin‑conditioning agents and surface modifiers in creams, lotions, and hair care formulations. They are aligned with the “clean beauty” trend for sustainable, natural‑derived ingredients and are increasingly used in prestige formulations that require a stable, non‑irritating sensory profile.

4. Additional High‑Value Derivative Applications.

Isolongifolanone is also employed as a bridged, rigid core in the synthesis of chiral ligands for estrogen receptors, with potential applications in breast cancer prevention and menopausal hormone replacement therapy.
Isolongifolene derivatives are being explored for neuroprotective and anti‑inflammatory properties, including inhibition of pathways relevant to Parkinson’s disease, although these applications are still at the pre‑commercial research stage.
Hydrogenated Isolongifolene serves as a source of bridged chiral frameworks for advanced materials synthesis, including polymers with unique thermal and mechanical properties.

Major Market Participants

The global supply system for Isolongifolene follows a pattern of “vertically integrated bio‑refining and forest‑chemical manufacturers, primarily in China (the global production hub) and India, with European, Japanese and North American companies focusing on high‑purity cosmetic and fragrance grades, and downstream formulators capturing the fine‑chemical end of the value chain.”

China is the world’s dominant producer and consumer of Isolongifolene, with an annual capacity exceeding 5,000 metric tons. Production is strongly concentrated in Guangdong and Guangxi provinces, where advanced catalytic isomerization facilities convert locally sourced, sustainably harvested heavy turpentine oil from pine resin into high‑purity Isolongifolene fractions. Major Chinese producers include Yunfu Linxing Forestry Chemical Co., Ltd., Wuzhou Oasis Chemicals Co., Ltd., Shanghai Yangqi Flavors & Fragrances Co., Ltd., Hubei Jusheng Technology Co., Ltd., Jiangsu Province Puleisi Biotechnology Co., Ltd., and Hubei Shishun Biotechnology Co., Ltd. Leading international suppliers include Sigma‑Aldrich (≥98.0% GC, sum of enantiomers), which supplies the highest enantiomeric purity material ever offered commercially (93%), and BOC Sciences, Alfa Chemistry, Chem‑Impex, and ChemScene.

The Isolongifolene market size was USD 1.2 billion in 2024 and is forecast to reach USD 2.5 billion by 2033, registering a CAGR of 8.9 % from 2026 to 2033. North America contributed 30 % of global market revenue in 2023, Asia Pacific 40 %, Europe 15 %, Latin America 10 %, and the Middle East & Africa 5 %, with Asia Pacific being the fastest‑growing region. Shanghai XinChem Co., Ltd. is a professional supplier of high‑purity Isolongifolene (CAS 1135-66-6), offering consistent quality, competitive wholesale pricing, and flexible packaging options for global customers.

Regional Market Dynamics

Asia Pacific, led by China, is the largest and most dynamic region, accounting for ≈40 % of global consumption in 2024. China’s dominance is driven by abundant domestic turpentine resources, mature catalytic isomerization technology (with conversion yields exceeding 99 % and isomer yields reaching 97.2 % under optimized conditions) and integrated industrial parks that convert the raw Isolongifolene fraction into downstream fine‑chemical derivatives. India and Southeast Asia are rapidly growing markets, as personal care manufacturing expands in the region.

North America and Europe together account for ≈45 % of global consumption, concentrated in high‑purity grades for perfumery (≥98 %) and specialty cosmetic applications. Within the EU, fragrance and cosmetic products must comply with IFRA Standards (the 51st Amendment, effective 2023) and the EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC 1223/2009). Isolongifolene and its main derivatives are subject to standard safety assessments, and registration under REACH is required for industrial import, but the substance is not classified as a substance of very high concern (SVHC). North American and European buyers also demand full product traceability, comprehensive impurity profiling (including residual solvents and heavy metals), and certification for natural‑derived sourcing.

Regulatory and Environmental Considerations

Isolongifolene (CAS 1135-66-6) is classified as a flammable liquid, hazard class Flam. Liq. 3, with hazard statement H226 (flammable liquid and vapor). The EU risk phrases are R10 (flammable) and Xi (irritant). Safety precautions include S16 (keep away from sources of ignition) and S29 (do not empty into drains). Appropriate PPE includes chemical‑resistant gloves and safety glasses. The compound has an odor threshold in the low ppm range and is stable for storage under standard conditions: for long‑term storage, keep at 2‑8 °C in a tightly sealed container under nitrogen blanket, away from light, strong oxidizing agents and strong acids. For in‑solvent storage (e.g., DMSO), the solution is stable for up to 6 months at –80 °C.

Environmentally, Isolongifolene is moderately biodegradable and has low aquatic toxicity. The production process utilizes renewable forestry feedstocks (pine resin‑derived heavy turpentine oil) and catalytic isomerization technology, which generates negligible inorganic waste and recycles virtually all organic solvents. The carbon footprint of Isolongifolene is substantially lower than that of fossil‑based C10–C15 synthetic hydrocarbon building blocks. The compound is listed in the US TSCA inventory and the Chinese Inventory of Existing Chemical Substances (IECSC), with HS Code 29021900.

Future Outlook

The market outlook for Isolongifolene is tied to three core drivers: (1) the sustained expansion of the global woody‑amber fragrance segment, where demand for long‑lasting base notes in premium personal care and home fragrance products continues to rise, buoyed by middle‑class growth in Asia and the shift from limited natural sandalwood/cedarwood oils to synthetic woody‑amber materials; (2) increasing regulatory pressure on synthetic insecticides (DEET) and subsequent market pull for effective, eco‑friendly mosquito repellents, with Isolongifolene as the preferred industrial precursor to isolongifolenone; and (3) the broader momentum toward circular bio‑economy and sustainable supply chains, where forestry‑derived, non‑edible sesquiterpenes such as Isolongifolene are favoured over petrochemical‑derived alternatives.

Enterprises should focus on securing high‑purity (>98 % GC) production and certification for cosmetic and fragrance specifications, maintaining rigorous impurity documentation for global regulatory filings, and building long‑term partnerships with formulators in the personal care, home care and specialty chemical sectors.

Shanghai XinChem Co., Ltd.

As a world‑leading supplier of fine chemicals and natural sesquiterpenes, Shanghai XinChem Co., Ltd. has always focused on the innovative needs of the fragrance, personal care and insect repellent industries. Relying on core advantages in bio‑based feedstocks, quality assurance and global logistics, we provide high‑quality Isolongifolene (CAS 1135-66-6) to customers around the world. Our product meets rigorous industrial specifications — purity (GC) up to 99 %, colorless to pale yellow clear liquid, refractive index (n²⁰/D) 1.494–1.500, relative density (d²⁰/⁴) 0.920–0.938, and strict residual solvent and heavy metal limits. It is the ideal industrial platform molecule for woody‑amber fragrance creation, isolongifolenone synthesis and sustainable personal care formulations.

1. Technical Advantages

High Purity & Consistency: Our Isolongifolene achieves purity up to 99 % (GC), consistently meeting the demanding raw‑material quality criteria of fragrance, personal care and repellent manufacturing.
Low Impurity Profile: Strict control of residual solvents, heavy metals (≤10 ppm, ICH Q3D) and related sesquiterpene isomers.
Sustainable & Renewable Origin: Derived from pine resin‑based heavy turpentine oil and produced via catalytic isomerization of longifolene (conversion ≥99 %, isomer yield ≥97 %), making it a fully bio‑based building block.
Batch‑to‑Batch Uniformity: Rigorous analytical testing (GC, GC‑MS, refractive index) guarantees consistent quality and reproducible yields in downstream manufacturing.

2. Product Advantages

Essential Fragrance Intermediate: The preferred industrial building block for synthesizing isolongifolanone, isolongifolene epoxide, isolongifolenyl acetate and other woody‑amber, sandalwood and cedrol derivatives widely used in soaps, detergents, fine fragrances, deodorants, space sprays and fabric softeners.
Key Precursor for Advanced Mosquito Repellents: Directly used as the feedstock for (−)-isolongifolenone, a highly effective insect repellent that outperforms DEET in laboratory bioassays against Aedes aegypti and Anopheles stephensi.
Clean‑Beauty & Natural Emollient: Serves as a skin‑conditioning agent and surface modifier in creams, lotions, hair care and prestige personal care formulations.
Flexible Packaging Options: 25 kg, 50 kg, 180 kg, 200 kg industrial drums; and smaller R&D packaging (100 g, 500 g, 1 kg, 5 kg, 10 kg, 25 kg) for laboratory‑scale evaluation and process development. Full custom packaging available.
Reliable Supply Chain: Annual capacity in the multi‑thousand‑ton range, with dedicated temperature‑controlled warehousing (2‑8 °C, nitrogen blanket, light‑protected) and just‑in‑time delivery.

3. Application Fields

Fragrance & Flavour Intermediate: Key building block for isolongifolanone, isolongifolene epoxide, isolongifolenyl acetate and other woody‑amber, sandalwood and cedarwood‑type synthetic fragrances — widely used in soaps, laundry detergents, fabric softeners, deodorants, space sprays, fine perfumery and home fragrance products.
Insect Repellent Precursor: Core feedstock for (−)-isolongifolenone (potent, DEET‑alternative mosquito and tick repellent).
Cosmetics & Personal Care: Emollient, skin‑conditioning agent and surface modifier in creams, lotions, serums, hair care, prestige formulations and “clean‑beauty” products.
Pharmaceutical & Biomedical Research: Building block for chiral ligands, estrogen receptor modulators, and exploratory neuroprotective compounds (Parkinson’s research).
Advanced Materials & Industrial Intermediates: Bridged framework for chiral auxiliaries, specialty polymers, coatings and material science building blocks.

4. Service Support
Our technical team provides full impurity profiling (GC, GC‑MS, heavy metals by ICP‑MS, residual solvents by GC‑headspace), custom purification to any desired specification, and complete regulatory documentation (Certificate of Analysis, Technical Data Sheet, Safety Data Sheet, REACH compliance, TSCA certification). We also offer custom packaging, cold‑chain logistics and just‑in‑time delivery.

5. Why Choose XinChem

Professionalism: 20 + years in the fine chemical, fragrance, terpene chemistry and pharmaceutical intermediate industries.
Flexibility: Tailored to customer purity specifications, packaging sizes, and regulatory documentation requirements.
Cost‑effectiveness: High purity at competitive industrial pricing.

Post time: May-24-2026

The Sustainable Sesquiterpene Backbone for Woody-Amber Fragrances and Advanced Mosquito Repellents: Isolongifolene (CAS 1135-66-6)