azobenzene

[az-oh-ben-zeen, -ben-zeen, ey-zoh-]

noun

Chemistry.

1. an orange-red, crystalline, water-insoluble powder, C 12 H 10 N 2 , obtained from nitrobenzene by reduction: used chiefly in the manufacture of dyes and as an insecticide.

azobenzene

/ ˌeɪzəʊˈbɛnziːn, -bɛnˈziːn /

noun

1. a yellow or orange crystalline solid used mainly in the manufacture of dyes. Formula: C 6 H 5 N:NC 6 H 5

2. any organic compound that is a substituted derivative of azobenzene

Word History and Origins

Origin of azobenzene¹

azo- + benzene

Example Sentences

To create the polarization pattern on top of the structural image, the researchers placed a stencil of the university's seal over the film and then exposed it to polarized light, which changed the orientation of the azobenzene molecules in the polymer.

Read more on Science Daily

The approach includes a metal-organic cage filled with one azobenzene molecule and one light-absorbing antenna molecule, the sensitizer.

Read more on Science Daily

To imitate this structure, Dr Yu designed a new liquid-crystal polymer consisting of a long flexible carbon backbone and azobenzene, a chemical compound made up of two hexagonal rings linked together.

Read more on Economist

Second, azobenzene’s rings are known to line up with each other when visible light is shone on it, a movement that should make the polymer expand a little.

Read more on Economist

Charging 'heat batteries' in the sun Using a compound called azobenzene along with carbon nanotubes -- tiny cylinders made from carbon -- Grossman created a way to capture the sun's energy and store it in a single step.

Read more on Scientific American