chromophore

American  

[kroh-muh-fawr, -fohr] / ˈkroʊ məˌfɔr, -ˌfoʊr /

noun

1. any chemical group that produces color in a compound, as the azo group −N=N−.

---

chromophore British  

/ ˈkrəʊməˌfɔː /

noun

1. a group of atoms in a chemical compound that are responsible for the colour of the compound

---

Other Word Forms

• chromophoric adjective

Etymology

Origin of chromophore

First recorded in 1875–80; chromo- + -phore

Example Sentences

Divalent chromium has the same number of unpaired electrons as trivalent manganese, the chromophore responsible for the intense color of YInMn blue, which Subramanian's team discovered 15 years ago.

From Science Daily • Apr. 16, 2024

"Our idea was to label sugar molecules with a chromophore, a chemical that gives a molecule its colour," explained Cecioni.

From Science Daily • Nov. 14, 2023

The response of plants to light is mediated by different photoreceptors, which are comprised of a protein covalently bonded to a light- absorbing pigment called a chromophore.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

Cryptochromes are another class of blue-light absorbing photoreceptors that also contain a flavin-based chromophore.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

Also the relative position of the auxochrome to the chromophore influences colour, the ortho-position being generally the most powerful.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 1 "Châtelet" to "Chicago" by Various