ketene

[kee-teen]

noun

Chemistry.

1. a colorless, poisonous gas, C 2 H 2 O, irritating to the lungs, prepared from acetone or acetic acid by pyrolysis: used chiefly in the manufacture of certain commercial chemicals, as acetic anhydride and aspirin.

ketene

/ ˈkiːtiːn, ˈkɛt- /

noun

1. Also called: ethonone. a colourless irritating toxic gas used as an acetylating agent in organic synthesis. Formula: CH 2 :CO

Word History and Origins

Origin of ketene¹

First recorded in 1905–10; ket- + -ene

Example Sentences

They discovered that ketene is formed at lower temperature settings than previously believed — and that it accumulated at levels dangerous to individual health.

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Now, a new study by Portland State University's Robert Strongin, doctoral student Kaelas Munger, and Robert Jensen reveals that when cannabinoid acetates in marijuana vaping products are heated under vaping conditions, they create a toxic gas called ketene.

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In their study, the researchers studied how much ketene was produced from a single puff of vaping products.

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The American Chemical Society describes ketene as "a colorless, toxic gas with a 'penetrating' odor," and a 2020 study from the scientific journal "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America" found that ketene "has been reported to cause severe, acute lung damage" when studied in animals.

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Although ketene is known to be toxic, it is so dangerous that it is difficult to directly study its effect on the human body.

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