Benzaldehyde appears in several flower GC results and occurs fairly widely in nature. It was also one of the earliest perfumery materials to be produced industrially having been prepared from toluene as early as 1866. The smallest of the aromatic aldehydes, benzaldehyde is a top note material that requires careful blending because its high vapour pressure and low detection threshold mean it can easily dominate the opening stages of a fragrance in which it is used.
Uses: Used in perfumery for special top note effects, and as a trace component in certain floral compositions.