Heptanoic acid, also called enanthic acid, is an organic compound

Organic compound

An organic compound is any member of a large class of gaseous, liquid, or solid chemical compounds whose molecules contain carbon. For historical reasons discussed below, a few types of carbon-containing compounds such as carbides, carbonates, simple oxides of carbon, and cyanides, as well as the...

 composed of a seven-carbon chain terminating in a carboxylic acid

Carboxylic acid

Carboxylic acids are organic acids characterized by the presence of at least one carboxyl group. The general formula of a carboxylic acid is R-COOH, where R is some monovalent functional group...

. It is an oily liquid with an unpleasant, rancid odor. It contributes to the odor of some rancid oils. It is slightly soluble in water, but very soluble in ethanol and ether.

Heptanoic acid is used in the preparation of ester

Ester

Esters are chemical compounds derived by reacting an oxoacid with a hydroxyl compound such as an alcohol or phenol. Esters are usually derived from an inorganic acid or organic acid in which at least one -OH group is replaced by an -O-alkyl group, and most commonly from carboxylic acids and...

s, such as ethyl heptanoate

Ethyl heptanoate

Ethyl heptanoate is the ester resulting from the condensation of heptanoic acid and ethanol. It is used in the flavor industry because of its odor that is similar to grape....

, which are used in fragrances and as artificial flavors.

It is also one of many additives in cigarettes.