2-acetylpyrazine is white to pale yellow crystalline powder with a nutty, popcorn, bread-crust odor. It is soluble in water and stable under ordinary conditions. It is used to manufacture many polycyclic compounds and used as useful structures in pharmaceuticals and perfumes. It is a component of the folates (vitamin B compounds) and of the isoalloxazine ring nucleus of flavins. Numerous pyrazine derivatives such as pyrazine polycyclic compounds, alkyl-, alicyclic-, and alkylaryl-substituted compounds, derivatives containing oxygenated functional groups and thio-functional groups in the side-chains are used in biological, drug, flavoring and perfumery industry. 2-acetylpyrazine is used as food additive, commonly used in chocolate and baked goods.
