Phenazine

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A heterocyclic organic compound containing two fused benzene rings with two nitrogen atoms, commonly employed in the synthesis of dyes and pharmaceutical agents
2. An aromatic tricyclic molecule with nitrogen in its ring structure, widely used as a precursor for industrial colorants and therapeutic compounds
3. A nitrogen-based aromatic substance formed from two benzene rings sharing a central six-membered ring with nitrogens, applied in producing pigments and medicinal products

Etymology: The name is a compound of two chemical coinages. "Phen-" comes from "phene," an early name for benzene coined by the French chemist Auguste Laurent, from Greek "phainein," to shine, reportedly because benzene was first obtained from illuminating gas. "-azine" marks a six-membered ring containing nitrogen. It derives from "azote," the name Antoine Lavoisier gave nitrogen, formed from Greek "a-," meaning not, and "zoe," meaning life, because nitrogen does not support combustion or breathing. Phenazine itself is a fused structure of three rings, two benzene rings joined through a pair of nitrogen atoms. Its derivatives became important dyes: safranin and neutral red are phenazine-based. Pyocyanin, the blue-green pigment produced by the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa, is also a phenazine.