Isosafrole is an

organic compound Some chemical authorities define an organic compound as a chemical compound that contains a carbon–hydrogen or carbon–carbon bond; others consider an organic compound to be any chemical compound that contains carbon. For example, carbon-co ...

that is used in the fragrance industry. Structurally, the molecule is related to

allylbenzene Allylbenzene or 3-phenylpropene is an organic compound with the formula C6H5CH2CH=CH2. It is a colorless liquid. The compound consists of a phenyl group attached to an allyl group. Allylbenzene isomerizes to trans-propenylbenzene. In plant bioc ...

, a type of aromatic organic chemical. Its fragrance is reminiscent of

anise Anise (; '), also called aniseed or rarely anix, is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae native to the eastern Mediterranean region and Southwest Asia. The flavor and aroma of its seeds have similarities with some other spices and herbs, ...

licorice Liquorice (Commonwealth English) or licorice (American English; see spelling differences; ) is the common name of ''Glycyrrhiza glabra'', a flowering plant of the bean family Fabaceae, from the root of which a sweet, aromatic flavouring is ...

. It is found in small amounts in various

essential oil An essential oil is a concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile (easily evaporated at normal temperatures) chemical compounds from plants. Essential oils are also known as volatile oils, ethereal oils, aetheroleum, or simply as the ...

s, but is most commonly obtained by

isomerizing In chemistry, isomers are molecules or polyatomic ions with identical molecular formula – that is, the same number of atoms of each element – but distinct arrangements of atoms in space. ''Isomerism'' refers to the existence or possibili ...

the plant oil

safrole Safrole is an organic compound with the formula CH2O2C6H3CH2CH=CH2. It is a colorless oily liquid, although impure samples can appear yellow. A member of the phenylpropanoid family of natural products, it is found in sassafras plants, among ot ...

. It exists as two geometric isomers, ''cis''-isosafrole and ''trans''-isosafrole. Isosafrole is a precursor to the important fragrance piperonal.Karl-Georg Fahlbusch, Franz-Josef Hammerschmidt, Johannes Panten, Wilhelm Pickenhagen, Dietmar Schatkowski, Kurt Bauer, Dorothea Garbe and Horst Surburg "Flavors and Fragrances" in ''Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry'', Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, 2003. It can also be converted via the intermediate compound MDP2P into the

psychoactive drug A psychoactive drug, psychopharmaceutical, mind-altering drug, consciousness-altering drug, psychoactive substance, or psychotropic substance is a chemical substance that alters psychological functioning by modulating central nervous system acti ...

MDMA 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), commonly known as ecstasy (tablet form), and molly (crystal form), is an empathogen–entactogenic drug with stimulant and minor Psychedelic drug, psychedelic properties. In studies, it has been used ...

('ecstasy'). As such it requires permits to purchase or sell in any significant quantity in the US.

References

{{phenylpropene Phenylpropenes Benzodioxoles