Benzyl acetate
Benzyl acetate is an organic ester with the molecular formula Template:Chem2. It is formed by the condensation of benzyl alcohol and acetic acid.
Similar to most other esters, it possesses a sweet and pleasant aroma, owing to which, it finds applications in personal hygiene and health care products. It is a constituent of jasmin and of the essential oils of ylang-ylang and neroli. It has pleasant sweet aroma reminiscent of jasmine. Further as a flavoring agent it is also used to impart jasmine or apple flavors to various cosmetics and personal care products like lotions, hair creams etc..[1]
It is one of many compounds that is attractive to males of various species of orchid bees. It is collected and used by the bees as an intra-specific pheromone; In apiculture benzyl acetate is used as a bait to collect bees. Natural sources of benzyl acetate include varieties of flowers like jasmine (Jasminum), and fruits like pear, apple, etc.[2]