Diphenylthiourea

/ˌdaɪfɛnɪlˌθaɪoʊˈjʊəriə/ noun

Definition

An organic compound with two phenyl groups attached to a thiourea core (containing carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur), used as a rubber accelerator and analytical reagent.

Etymology

From di- (two) + phenyl (aromatic rings) + thiourea (urea with sulfur replacing oxygen, from Greek 'theion' meaning sulfur). Developed in the early 1900s as part of rubber chemistry research.

Kelly Says

Diphenylthiourea is still used today to detect heavy metals like copper and lead in water—it binds to these metals so tightly that chemists can spot contamination that would be invisible to our eyes.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.