Triphenylphosphane

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A chemical compound of phosphorus bonded to three phenyl groups, widely used as a reagent and ligand in laboratory synthesis
2. An organophosphorus substance in which a phosphorus atom carries three benzene rings, employed in chemical reactions and as a catalyst component
3. A white crystalline phosphine compound with three phenyl substituents, valued by chemists as a reducing agent and metal-binding ligand

Etymology: "Phosphorus," the element at the compound's core, comes from Greek "phosphoros," meaning "light-bringer," the name for the morning star, because the element glows faintly in the dark. The "phos-" in the name carries that glow into the chemistry. "Phosphane" is the systematic name for the simple hydride PH3, the parent of the phosphine family. The "phenyl" part has an equally bright origin. Early chemists called benzene "phene," from Greek "phainein," "to shine," because benzene was first isolated from illuminating gas. "Phenyl" names the group derived from it, and "tri-" says that three of these groups are attached to the phosphorus atom.

Synonyms: triphenylphosphine