The molecule consists of a benzene ring with a formyl and a methoxy group.

[3] Being structurally related to vanillin, 4-anisaldehyde is a widely used in the fragrance and flavor industry.

A solution of para-anisaldehyde in acid and ethanol is a useful stain in thin layer chromatography.

[4] Different chemical compounds on the plate can give different colors, allowing easy distinction.

Anisaldehyde in combination with copper (II) can induce single- and double-strand breaks in double stranded DNA.