para-anisyl
|pa-ra-an-i-syl|
/ˌpærəˈænɪsɪl/
para-position anisyl substituent (4-methoxybenzyl/phenyl group)
Etymology
'para-anisyl' is formed from the chemical prefix 'para-' (from Greek 'para', used to denote the 1,4- position) plus 'anisyl', where 'anisyl' is derived from 'anisole' (the methoxybenzene family) with the radical-forming suffix '-yl'.
'anisyl' ultimately traces to 'anisole', named after Latin/French 'anis' (anise) because of a similar aroma; chemists added the Neo-Latin/chemical suffix '-yl' to indicate a radical or substituent. 'para-' (Greek) was combined with 'anisyl' in modern chemical nomenclature to specify the 1,4- substitution pattern, producing 'para-anisyl' or abbreviated 'p-anisyl'.
Originally related to the anise-like scent of compounds (via 'anis'/'anisole'), the term evolved into a precise chemical name indicating a methoxy-substituted benzyl/phenyl radical at the para position; its contemporary use is structural rather than aromatic.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a chemical substituent or radical derived from anisole located at the para (1,4) position; commonly used to refer to the p-anisyl group (often 4-methoxybenzyl or, in context, 4-methoxyphenyl depending on nomenclature).
The synthesis used a para-anisyl chloride as the electrophile to introduce a p-methoxybenzyl substituent.
Synonyms
Adjective 1
describing a molecule that bears an anisyl substituent at the para position (e.g., para-anisyl alcohol = 4-methoxybenzyl alcohol).
The para-anisyl derivative showed different reactivity compared with the meta-substituted isomer.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/05 07:41