MOLECULE

Butyl formate

Butyl formate, also known as butyl methanoate belongs to the class of organic compounds known as carboxylic acid esters. These are carboxylic acid derivatives in which the carbon atom from the carboxyl group is attached to an alkyl or an aryl moiety through an oxygen atom (forming an ester group). A formate ester resulting from the formal condensation of formic acid with the hydroxy group of butan-1-ol. Butyl formate is a brandy, fruity, and plum tasting compound. Butyl formate has been detected, but not quantified, in blackcurrants and pineapples. Butyl formate has also been detected in the volatile fraction of Cannabis sativa samples obtained from police seizures (PMID: 26657499).