phenylacetic acid

American  

noun

Chemistry.

1. a white crystalline, aromatic acid, C 8 H 8 O 2 , used in the manufacture of penicillin and in perfumes.

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Etymology

Origin of phenylacetic acid

First recorded in 1875–80; phenyl + acetic acid

Example Sentences

The researchers purified the proteins and added them to a vial containing phenylacetic acid, the normal starting material for Phd B. But in this case the phenylacetic acid was made using carbon-13, a rare isotope of carbon that enabled Beller’s team to trace the fate of the compound as it reacted.

From Science Magazine

Whenever they spot Escovopsis, they secrete phenylacetic acid from a special gland in their thoraxes, a strategy that kills the fungus and sets the ants apart from close relatives that cultivate bacteria and other microbes to fight off the fungi.

From Science Magazine

The fungi are fighting back, though: The authors state that populations of the fungus living alongside the ants display an increased resistance to phenylacetic acid.

From Science Magazine

For most purposes, such as the preparation of phenylacetic acid or ester, the fraction boiling 135-140'0/38 mm. is perfectly satisfactory.

From Project Gutenberg

This is washed with a little 10 per cent sodium carbonate solution to remove small amounts of phenylacetic acid which may have been formed, and then distilled in vacuo.

From Project Gutenberg