Esters of octanol, such as octyl acetate, occur as components of essential oils.

Octanol is mainly produced industrially by the oligomerization of ethylene using triethylaluminium followed by oxidation of the alkylaluminium products.

[3] An idealized synthesis is shown: The process generates a range of alcohols, which can be separated by distillation.

The Kuraray process defines an alternative route to 1-octanol, but using C4 + C4 building strategy.

The distribution of a compound between water and octanol is used to calculate the partition coefficient, P, of that molecule (often expressed as its logarithm to the base 10, log P).

With a flash point of 81 °C, 1-octanol is not seriously flammable, though its autoignition temperature is as low as 245 °C.

[3] It has been examined for controlling essential tremor and other types of involuntary neurological tremors because evidence indicates it can relieve tremor symptoms at lower doses than are required to obtain a similar level of symptomatic relief from consumption of ethanol, thereby reducing the risk alcohol intoxication at therapeutic dosages.