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ferrocene

American  
[fer-uh-seen] / ˈfɛr əˌsin /

noun

Chemistry.
  1. Also called dicyclopentadienyliron.  an orange, crystalline, water-insoluble coordination compound, (C 5 H5 ) 2 Fe, having a camphorlike odor: used chiefly as an antiknock agent for gasoline and as a catalyst.

  2. Also called dicyclopentadienyl metal.  any of a class of analogous compounds containing a metal other than iron, as nickel or osmium.


ferrocene British  
/ ˈfɛrəʊˌsiːn /

noun

  1. a reddish-orange insoluble crystalline compound. Its molecules have an iron atom sandwiched between two cyclopentadiene rings. Formula: Fe(C 5 H 5 ) 2

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of ferrocene

First recorded in 1950–55; ferro- + c(yclopentadi)ene

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The researchers used ferrocene and tetrathiafulvalene as electron donor molecules, which were absorbed through the windows of the nanotube crystals.

From Science Daily • Jun. 4, 2024

The team used a molecule terminated by a ferrocene group comprising two carbon-based cyclopentadienyl rings that sandwich an iron atom.

From Science Daily • Mar. 5, 2024

Technically, oxidizing the ferrocene enabled the binding of a Au0 to an Fe3+ center.

From Science Daily • Mar. 5, 2024

Towards this goal, they decided to explore the use of organo-metallic iron-containing ferrocene molecules, which are also considered to be tiny building blocks in the world of nanotechnology.

From Science Daily • Mar. 5, 2024

This study also shows the ability to turn on and off this contact by using light to change the oxidation state of the ferrocene, demonstrating a light-switchable ferrocene-based single-molecule device.

From Science Daily • Mar. 5, 2024