Perkin reaction

noun

Per·​kin reaction

variants or less commonly Perkin synthesis

ˈpərkə̇n-

: a reaction for making an unsaturated aromatic acid (as cinnamic acid) by heating an aromatic aldehyde with an acid anhydride (as acetic anhydride) in the presence of a base (as sodium acetate or potassium carbonate)

Word History

Etymology

after Sir William Henry Perkin †1907 English chemist

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