phenylene

[fen-l-een, feen-]

adjective

Chemistry.

1. containing a phenylene group.

phenylene

1. The radical C ₆ H ₄, derived from benzene by removal of two hydrogen atoms.

Word History and Origins

Origin of phenylene¹

First recorded in 1885–90; phenyl + -ene

Example Sentences

Researchers utilized a gear-shaped molecule called triaryltriazine, which has a center triazine ring with three phenylene rings attached to it -- which act like the teeth of a gear.

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By attaching bulky, stationary molecules to the phenylene rings, researchers induced a "clutch stack" arrangement, where adjacent triaryltriazine molecules are rotated 60° from each other, rather than stacking in the same orientation.

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The attached stationary molecules also created enough space for the three phenylene rings to rotate between two positions in a flapping motion.

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The clutch stack arrangement of the triaryltriazine molecules enabled adjacent molecules to hook on to each other as the phenylene rings rotated, much like interlocking gears.

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This change in motion was attributed to a phase transition in the crystal that created more space between adjacent molecules, giving the phenylene rings more room to rotate.

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