ninhydrin

[nin-hahy-drin]

noun

Chemistry.

1. a white or yellow, toxic, crystalline or powdery compound, C 9 H 4 O 3 ⋅H 2 O, that reddens when heated above 100°C, a monohydrate, soluble in water or alcohol: used primarily as a reagent to detect the presence of various amino acids.

ninhydrin

/ nɪnˈhaɪdrɪn /

noun

1. a chemical reagent used for the detection and analysis of primary amines, esp amino acids, with which it forms a derivative with an intense purple colour

Word History and Origins

Origin of ninhydrin¹

From German, registered as a trademark for the drug in 1912

Word History and Origins

Origin of ninhydrin¹

C20: from the chemical name triketo hydrindene

Example Sentences

We used a chemical called ninhydrin to chop off and isolate the carbon atom we wanted from each amino acid.

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Bailey also taught classes on arson investigation at the local university, and co-authored papers with titles such as “The Use of Liquid Latex for Soot Removal from Fire Scenes and Attempted Fingerprint Development with Ninhydrin.”

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These compounds are known to react with a chemical called ninhydrin, causing it to change color.

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When you get a positive result with a ninhydrin … you can be pretty confident about the compound that produced it.

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The air samples were then taken to the laboratory and analyzed with ninhydrin.

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