Ethyl maltol is an organic compound that is a common flavourant in some confectioneries. It is related to the more common flavorant maltol by replacement of the methyl group by an ethyl group.[2] It is a white solid with a sweet smell that can be described as caramelized sugar or as caramelized fruit.
The conjugate base derived from ethylmaltol, again like maltol, has a high affinity for iron, forming a red coordination complex[citation needed]. In such compounds, the heterocycle is a bidentate ligand.
Original patent:[3]
References
- ^ Ethyl maltol at Sigma-Aldrich
- ^ Erich Lück and Gert-Wolfhard von Rymon Lipinski "Foods, 3. Food Additives" in Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, 2002, Wiley-VCH, Weinheim. doi:10.1002/14356007.a11_561
- ^ Charles R Stephens Jr & Robert P Allingham, U.S. patent 3,446,629 (1969 to Pfizer Inc).