Organoboron

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Describing a chemical compound in which carbon atoms are directly bonded to boron atoms, used widely in organic synthesis
2. Referring to molecules that contain a carbon-boron bond, a class of reagents important in modern chemical manufacturing
3. Relating to substances built around a link between carbon and the element boron, often employed as intermediates in laboratory reactions

Etymology: Organoboron is a compound built from two parts: "organo-", the combining form meaning "organic" or "carbon-containing", and "boron", the chemical element with symbol B. Put together, the word names a class of compounds in which boron is bonded directly to carbon, the kind of molecule that chemists use as building blocks for pharmaceuticals and materials. The word follows the same pattern as older chemical names such as "organophosphorus" and "organosilicon," where "organo-" is attached to the name of a non-carbon element to mark that the compound contains both that element and carbon bonds. Its meaning is therefore literal and transparent: a boron-containing organic compound.