anthracene-9,10-dione
|an-thra-cene-9,10-di-one|
🇺🇸
/ˌænθrəˈsiːn ˌnaɪnˌtɛn ˈdaɪ.oʊn/
🇬🇧
/ˌænθrəˈsiːn ˌnaɪnˌtɛn ˈdaɪ.əʊn/
anthracene with two ketone groups at positions 9 and 10
Etymology
'anthracene-9,10-dione' originates from Greek and Neo-Latin, specifically the Greek word 'anthrax' and the combining forms 'anthrac-' + '-ene' and the Neo-Latin/chemical combining form 'dione', where 'anthrac-' meant 'coal', 'ene' denoted an unsaturated hydrocarbon suffix, and 'di-' meant 'two' while 'one' (as in '-one') referred to a ketone.
'anthracene-9,10-dione' changed from 19th-century chemical coinages that combined 'anthrac-' (from Greek 'anthrax', used in Modern Latin/chemical Latin as 'anthracene') with suffixes to describe functional groups; the modern systematic name (IUPAC-style) assembled these elements into 'anthracene-9,10-dione' to indicate two ketone groups at positions 9 and 10.
Initially, related terms (like 'anthracene') referred generally to substances derived from coal tar; over time the name evolved into the precise systematic chemical name 'anthracene-9,10-dione', meaning the specific diketone compound now commonly called anthraquinone.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a polycyclic aromatic diketone with molecular formula C14H8O2; the systematic name for the compound commonly called anthraquinone (i.e., anthracene with two ketone groups at positions 9 and 10). It is a yellow crystalline substance used as an intermediate in dye manufacture, in the paper industry, and in organic synthesis.
Anthracene-9,10-dione is widely used as an intermediate in the production of dyes and pigments.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/09 20:25