ferrocene

[ fer-uh-seen ]

noun

, Chemistry.

1. Also called dicyclopentadienyliron. an orange, crystalline, water-insoluble coordination compound, (C 5 H 5 ) 2 Fe, having a camphorlike odor: used chiefly as an antiknock agent for gasoline and as a catalyst. Compare metallocene.
2. Also called dicyclopentadienyl metal. any of a class of analogous compounds containing a metal other than iron, as nickel or osmium.

ferrocene

/ 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of ferrocene¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of ferrocene¹

C20: from ferro- + c ( yclopentadi ) ene