acrolein
A chemist carefully handles a vial of acrolein in a well-ventilated laboratory.
Noun: A pungent, colorless, unsaturated liquid aldehyde with the chemical formula C₃H₄O, made from propene. It is a highly reactive and toxic compound with a sharp, unpleasant odor, often described as acrid or irritating.
Acrolein is used primarily in technical and scientific contexts. It is an important industrial chemical used in the synthesis of other compounds, such as acrylic acid and its esters. It is also a component of smoke, particularly from burning fats, oils, or tobacco.
- Scientific/Industrial Context:
- Acrolein is a key intermediate in the production of certain polymers and pharmaceuticals.
- The laboratory handled acrolein with extreme care due to its high toxicity and lachrymatory effects.
- General/Descriptive Context:
- The smell of acrolein is often detected in overheated cooking oil or cigarette smoke.
- "Acrolein test": A chemical test used to detect the presence of glycerol or fats, based on the formation of acrolein, which produces a characteristic pungent odor.
- The acrolein test confirmed the presence of a lipid in the sample.
- Acrylic acid (n): A carboxylic acid often produced from the oxidation of acrolein, used to make plastics and coatings.
- Propene (n): Also known as propylene, the hydrocarbon (C₃H₆) from which acrolein is commonly synthesized.
- Propenal: The systematic IUPAC name for acrolein.
- Acrylaldehyde: An alternative chemical name for acrolein.
Acrolein is not typically used in idioms, phrasal verbs, or casual conversation due to its specialized chemical nature. Its usage is confined to chemistry, industrial processes, and descriptions of specific odors in environmental or safety contexts.
A chemist carefully handles a vial of acrolein in a well-ventilated laboratory.
- a pungent colorless unsaturated liquid aldehyde made from propene