ferrocene

1 9.9

A molecule with an iron atom between two small carbon rings

noun
/ˈfɛrəˌsiːn/

Specialized

: ferroceno

Examples

OK, so so we just figured out how ferrocene is put together.
We'll just call it synthesis of ferrocene, of ferrocene.
The chemist demonstrated how ferrocene could be synthesized in the laboratory.
Researchers are studying the properties of ferrocene to understand its potential applications.
In organic chemistry, ferrocene is recognized for its unique sandwich structure, with iron sandwiched between two cyclopentadienyl rings.

Surface Forms

ferrocene singular

ferrocenes plural

Morphology

ferrocene = ferro (opaque) = ferro + cene

Although 'ferro-' signals 'iron', '-cene' is a specialized chemical suffix and the name is a technical coinage not predictable for an average learner.

Etymology

Ferrocene comes from ferro- meaning 'iron' and -cene, a name for a group of 'sandwich' compounds where a metal sits between two ring shapes, so it literally names the structure. That's why ferrocene is easy to remember as an 'iron sandwich' with an iron atom between two rings.