catechol

American  

[kat-i-kawl, -kol] / ˈkæt ɪˌkɔl, -ˌkɒl /

noun

1. a colorless, crystalline, dihydroxyl derivative of benzene, C 6 H 6 O 2 , the ortho isomer, used chiefly in photography, for dyeing, and as a reagent; pyrocatechol.

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catechol British  

/ ˈkætɪˌtʃɒl, -ˌkɒl /

noun

1. Also called: pyrocatechol.  a colourless crystalline phenol found in resins and lignins; 1,2-dihydroxybenzene. It is used as a photographic developer. Formula: C 6 H 4 (OH) 2

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catechol Scientific  

/ kăt′ĭ-kôl′,-kōl′ /

1. A biologically important organic phenol occurring naturally in lignins and resins. It has two hydroxyl groups attached to a benzene ring. Catechol is very caustic and is used in dyeing and as a photographic developer and an antiseptic. Chemical formula: C ₆ H ₆ O ₂ .

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Etymology

Origin of catechol

First recorded in 1875–80; catech(u) + -ol ¹

Example Sentences

Several drugs, including entacapone, contain metal-binding catechol groups, suggesting that this mechanism could be a more common pathway for drug-induced microbiome alterations.

From Science Daily • Nov. 21, 2024

Such antimicrobial activity was attributed to a direct contact killing process, where the pathogen is initially attached to the coating by catechol molecules and other polyphenol derivatives.

From Science Daily • Feb. 1, 2024

But Coggon had his suspicions about where the catechol was going.

From Scientific American • Sep. 12, 2022

The chart measured the molecular composition of hundreds of different VOCs, but Coggon’s eyes were fixed on catechol, which was now at very high volumes and ticking down rapidly.

From Scientific American • Sep. 12, 2022

The tannins are divided into two general classes, known respectively as the pyrogallol tannins and the catechol tannins.

From The Chemistry of Plant Life by Thatcher, Roscoe Wilfred