isoprene

American  

[ahy-suh-preen] / ˈaɪ səˌprin /

noun

Chemistry.

1. a colorless, volatile, water-insoluble liquid, C 5 H 8 , of the terpene class, usually obtained from rubber or from oil of turpentine by pyrolysis: used chiefly in the manufacture of synthetic rubber by polymerization.

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isoprene British  

/ ˈaɪsəʊˌpriːn /

noun

1. Systematic name: methylbuta-1,3-diene.  a colourless volatile liquid with a penetrating odour: used in making synthetic rubbers. Formula: CH 2 :CHC(CH 3 ):CH 2

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isoprene Scientific  

/ ī′sə-prēn′ /

1. A colorless, volatile liquid obtained from petroleum or coal tar and occurring naturally in many plants. It is used chiefly to make synthetic rubber. The isoprene in plants occurs in the chloroplasts and is used to build terpenes and other biologically important chemicals. Chemical formula: C ₅ H ₈ .

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Etymology

Origin of isoprene

1855–60; iso- + -pr- (< ?) + -ene; see terpene

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

isoprene

The analysis identified styrene and butadiene from standard PMA, polyethylene from recycled plastic and fishing net pavements, and isoprene and butadiene rubber from vehicle tires.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 28, 2026

They pull the isoprene up like a vacuum cleaner and transport it to an altitude of between 8 and 15 kilometers.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 4, 2024

So far, it was thought that the isoprene in the Amazon basin degrades rapidly and does not reach higher atmospheric layers.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 4, 2024

"We were able to detect considerable amounts of isoprene in the air flowing out of the thunderstorms at high altitude, from which new aerosol particles rapidly formed after several chemical reactions."

From Science Daily ● Dec. 4, 2024

It yielded a small portion of unchanged isoprene.

From Scientific American Supplement, No. 1157, March 5, 1898 by Various