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phenylacetamide

phenylacetamide

9.9
A white solid chemical used to make dyes and rubber products and related to the pain medicine paracetamol
  • noun
  • /ˌfɛnɪlˈæsɪtəˌmaɪd/
  • Specialized
translation icon : fenilacetamida
  • The production of dyes often involves phenylacetamide as a key intermediate chemical.

Examples

  • This video will use naphthalene and phenylacetamide, salicylic acid and succinic acid.

  • Researchers discovered that phenylacetamide could enhance the effects of certain pharmaceuticals.

  • Phenylacetamide is commonly used in laboratory settings for the synthesis of various phenylacetamide compounds.

Surface Forms

Morphology

phenylacetamide = phenyl + acetamide (opaque) = phenyl + acet + amide

Although analyzable as 'phenyl' + 'acetamide', the components are technical chemical combining forms unlikely to be meaningful to an average B1 learner outside a chemistry context.

Etymology

Phenylacetamide breaks into three clear parts: phenyl, acet, and amide. The acet part comes from acetic meaning 'vinegar', amide is related to 'ammonia', and phenyl is a common chemical piece found in many compounds, so the name simply says it is an 'amide' attached to a 'phenyl' part, which is why chemists use it in making dyes and drugs.