Flavouring ingredient used in fruit flavours; leavening agent Acetophenone is a raw material for the synthesis of some pharmaceuticals and is also listed as an approved excipient by the U.S. FDA. In a 1994 report released by five top cigarette companies in the U.S., acetophenone was listed as one of the 599 additives to cigarettes.; Acetophenone is the organic compound with the formula C6H5C(O)CH3. It is the simplest aromatic ketone. This colourless, viscous liquid is a precursor to useful resins and fragrances.