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Annex II Entry 265 20/10/2010

Pentaerithrityl tetranitrate (INN)

Pentaerithrityl tetranitrate (INN) is listed in Annex II as a prohibited substance for cosmetic products placed on the EU market.

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Prohibited substance— Annex II, EU Regulation 1223/2009
Entry: 265

Chemical identity and properties

PubChem 2D chemical structure for CAS 78-11-5
CAS 78-11-5PubChem CID 6518

Pentaerythritol Tetranitrate

Pentaerythritol tetranitrate is a pentaerythritol nitrate in which all four hydroxy groups of pentaerythritol have been converted to the corresponding nitrate ester. It is a vasodilator with properties similar to those of glyceryl trinitrate, but with a more prolonged duration of action, and is used for treatment of angina pectoris. It is also one of the most powerful high explosives known and is a component of the plastic explosive known as Semtex. It has a role as a vasodilator agent and an explosive. — ChEBI

IUPAC name
[3-nitrooxy-2,2-bis(nitrooxymethyl)propyl] nitrate
Molecular formula
C5H8N4O12
Molecular weight
316.14 g/mol
Exact mass
316.01387170 Da
XLogP3
1.4
Topological polar surface area
220.0 Ų
Hydrogen-bond donors
0
Hydrogen-bond acceptors
12
Covalent units
1
Defined stereocentres
0

Also known as

PETNPenthriteNitropentaPeritrateNitropentaerythritePentaerithrityl tetranitrateNitropentaerythritolPenthrit
16 more reported names
VasodiatolBaritrateNitropentonPentafinPentanitrinePentanitrolPentritolQuintrateAngicapAntoraCorpentErinitPeritylPeridex-LAPentritol tempulesDipentrate
Open full PubChem recordPubChem annotations3D structure image
External database identifiers

Retrieved from NIH PubChem on 2026-09-02 by checksum-valid CAS matching. Chemical properties do not replace the regulatory decision on this page.

Record details

Chemical name

Pentaerithrityl tetranitrate (INN)

Chemical / IUPAC name

1,3-Propanediol, 2,2-bis((nitrooxy)methyl)-, dinitrate (ester)

Regulatory information

Regulation

(EC) 2009/1223

See every entry this act set

Key data

CAS
78-11-5
EC
201-084-3
Annex
II
Entry number
265

Direct matches are limited for this record, so nearby entries from Annex II are shown as well.

Annex II 268
Nearby record in the same annex

Picric acid

CAS: 88-89-1
EC: 201-865-9
Annex II 261
Nearby record in the same annex

Oleandrin

CAS: 465-16-7
EC: 207-361-5

What Annex II means for Pentaerithrityl tetranitrate (INN)

Pentaerithrityl tetranitrate (INN) is listed as a prohibited substance under Annex II of EU Cosmetics Regulation 1223/2009 and must not be intentionally added. Article 17 separately addresses unintended small quantities that are technically unavoidable under good manufacturing practice and compatible with the Article 3 safety requirement.

Formulators must screen their ingredients and raw materials to ensure none contain this substance. Suppliers should provide documentation confirming absence when requested.

The page also surfaces 12 related annex records with overlapping identifiers, annex logic or naming patterns.

Compliance checklist

  • Verify this substance is absent from all raw materials and finished formulations.
  • Request absence confirmation or CoA from raw material suppliers.
  • Document the screening result in the Product Information File (PIF).

Frequently asked questions

Yes. Pentaerithrityl tetranitrate (INN) is listed in Annex II of EU Cosmetics Regulation 1223/2009 and is prohibited as an intentionally added cosmetic ingredient. Article 17 provides a narrow exception for unintended small quantities that are technically unavoidable under good manufacturing practice, provided the product remains safe under Article 3.

CAS 78-11-5 is the unique numerical identifier assigned to Pentaerithrityl tetranitrate (INN) by the Chemical Abstracts Service. In cosmetic compliance work, the CAS number is used to cross-reference the substance across regulatory databases, raw material specifications and safety assessment reports. Multiple EU annex entries may share the same CAS number if the same substance appears under different conditions or in different annexes.

Use the INCI Checker tool on this site to paste your full ingredient list (INCI) and scan it against all Annex II–VI entries. The tool highlights any ingredients that match restricted, prohibited or allergen-flagged records. This is useful for rapid compliance screening of finished product formulas or raw material declarations.
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Source note for Annex II record Pentaerithrityl tetranitrate (INN)

This page summarizes one Annex II record for Pentaerithrityl tetranitrate (INN) from public European Commission cosmetic materials and adds linked inventory or identifier matches when available.

Use this record page to review Annex II conditions for Pentaerithrityl tetranitrate (INN), but confirm any final regulatory decision against the current official annex wording and source files.

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