Hosta

2-Undecanone, also known as methyl nonyl ketone and IBI-246, is the organic compound with the formula CH₃C(O)C₉H₁₉. It a colorless oil. It is usually produced synthetically, but it can also be extracted from various plant sources, including from essential oil of rue. It is found naturally in bananas, cloves, ginger, guava, strawberries, wild-grown tomatoes, and the perennial leaf vegetable Houttuynia cordata.^[1]

Uses

Because of its strong odor it is primarily used as an insect repellent or animal repellent. Typically, 1–2% concentrations of 2-undecanone are found in dog and cat repellents in the form of a liquid, aerosol spray, or gel. 2-Undecanone is also used in the perfumery and flavoring industries.

It has been investigated as a mosquito repellant, like DEET.^[2][3]

Chemical properties

2-Undecanone is a ketone that is soluble in organic solvents but insoluble in water. Like most methyl ketones, 2-undecanone undergoes a haloform reaction when in the presence of a basic solution of hypochlorite. For example, the reaction between 2-undecanone and sodium hypochlorite yields sodium decanoate, chloroform, and sodium hydroxide.

CH₃CO(CH₂)₈CH₃ + 3 NaOCl → CH₃(CH₂)₈COONa + CHCl₃ + 2 NaOH

See also

• Perfume allergy

Notes

References

• Lange's Handbook of Chemistry (14th Edition), McGraw-Hill, 1992; Section 1; Table 1.15
• The Condensed Chemical Dictionary (10th Edition), Gesner G. Hawley
• 2-Undecanone from The Good Scents Company
• MSDS for 2-Undecanone^{[permanent dead link]}