nitrobenzene

American  

[nahy-troh-ben-zeen, -ben-zeen] / ˌnaɪ troʊˈbɛn zin, -bɛnˈzin /

noun

Chemistry.

1. a pale yellow, toxic, water-soluble liquid, C 6 H 5 NO 2 , produced by nitrating benzene with nitric acid: used chiefly in the manufacture of aniline.

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nitrobenzene British  

/ ˌnaɪtrəʊˈbɛnziːn /

noun

1. a yellow oily toxic water-insoluble liquid compound, used as a solvent and in the manufacture of aniline. Formula: C 6 H 5 NO 2

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Etymology

Origin of nitrobenzene

First recorded in 1865–70; nitro- + benzene

Example Sentences

The Jiangsu environmental protection bureau said late on Friday that a team of 126 inspectors found various degrees of contamination in local water samples, with nitrobenzene concentrations exceeding standards at one location.

From Reuters

It is a colorless, oily liquid, originally obtained from indigo by distillation, but now largely manufactured from coal tar or nitrobenzene as a base from which many brilliant dyes are made.

From Project Gutenberg

It is prepared from nitrobenzene by reducing it with stannous chloride and sodium hydroxide.

From Project Gutenberg

That aniline could be obtained by the reduction of nitrobenzene was shown by Zinin in 1842, who used sulphide of ammonium for reducing the nitrobenzene, and named the resulting base “benzidam.”

From Project Gutenberg

They are mostly distinguished by special trade names, and are mainly of two classes—those containing ammonium nitrate and nitrobenzene or nitronaphthalene, and those containing nitroglycerin and nitrocellulose, which are essentially weak dynamites.

From Project Gutenberg