picric acid

Home > ... > Science and Technology > Chemistry > Organic Chemistry > ...

Essential
reading

Compare
side-by-side

The Concise Oxford Dictionary ...

A Dictionary of Nursing

The Columbia Encyclopedia, ...

picric acid

The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition | 2008 | The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Copyright 2008 Columbia University Press. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

picric acid or 2,4,6-trinitrophenol , C 6 H 2 (NO 2 ) 3 OH, a toxic yellow crystalline solid that melts at 122°C and is soluble in most organic solvents. Picric acid is a derivative of phenol . It reacts with metals to form metal picrates, which like picric acid itself are highly sensitive explosives that can be detonated by heat, flame, shock, or friction. The high explosives lyddite and melinite are composed mostly of compressed or fused picric acid. Picric acid is often used as a booster to detonate another, less sensitive explosive, such as TNT ( trinitrotoluene ). Although picric acid can be synthesized by nitration of phenol, higher yields are obtained if chlorobenzene is used as a starting material; the latter method involves several steps and the formation of several intermediate products. In addition to its use in explosives, picric acid has been used as a yellow dye, as an antiseptic, and in the synthesis of chloropicrin, or nitrotrichloromethane, CCl 3 NO 2 , a powerful insecticide.

Hide all research tools
Print this article Print all entries for this topic Cite this article Link to this article
Link to this article

CloseClose

Create a link to this page

Copy and paste this link tag into your Web page or blog:

<a href="http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/.aspx#1E1-picricac" title="Facts and informations about picric acid">picric acid</a>

Add this article to Del.icio.usBookmark this article on DiigoShare this article on FacebookSubmit this article to RedditGive this article a thumbs-up on StumbleUpon
Show all research tools

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

"picric acid." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 9 Jul. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"picric acid." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (July 9, 2009). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-picricac.html

"picric acid." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Retrieved July 09, 2009 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-picricac.html

Learn more about citation styles

picric acid

A Dictionary of Nursing | 2008 | © A Dictionary of Nursing 2008, originally published by Oxford University Press 2008. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

picric acid (trinitrophenol) (pik-rik) n. a yellow crystalline solid used as a dye and as a tissue fixative.

Hide all research tools
Print this article Print all entries for this topic Cite this article Link to this article
Link to this article

CloseClose

Create a link to this page

Copy and paste this link tag into your Web page or blog:

<a href="http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/.aspx#1O62-picricacid" title="Facts and informations about picric acid">picric acid</a>

Add this article to Del.icio.usBookmark this article on DiigoShare this article on FacebookSubmit this article to RedditGive this article a thumbs-up on StumbleUpon
Show all research tools

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

"picric acid." A Dictionary of Nursing. Oxford University Press. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 9 Jul. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"picric acid." A Dictionary of Nursing. Oxford University Press. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (July 9, 2009). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O62-picricacid.html

"picric acid." A Dictionary of Nursing. Oxford University Press. 2008. Retrieved July 09, 2009 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O62-picricacid.html

Learn more about citation styles

picric

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology | 1996 | | © The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology 1996, originally published by Oxford University Press 1996. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

picric (chem.) p. acid. f. Gr. pikrós bitter + -IC.

Hide all research tools
Print this article Print all entries for this topic Cite this article Link to this article
Link to this article

CloseClose

Create a link to this page

Copy and paste this link tag into your Web page or blog:

<a href="http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/.aspx#1O27-picric" title="Facts and informations about picric acid">picric acid</a>

Add this article to Del.icio.usBookmark this article on DiigoShare this article on FacebookSubmit this article to RedditGive this article a thumbs-up on StumbleUpon
Show all research tools

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

T. F. HOAD. "picric." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 9 Jul. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

T. F. HOAD. "picric." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (July 9, 2009). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-picric.html

T. F. HOAD. "picric." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved July 09, 2009 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-picric.html

Learn more about citation styles

Free newspaper and magazine articles

Free Article Foundry in blast fear.
Newspaper article from: The Star (Sheffield) (Sheffield, England); 9/16/2006
Free Article Exogenous ochronosis.(CASE REPORTS)
Magazine article from: Journal of Drugs in Dermatology; 1/1/2006
Free Article Suspended to import sodium nitrate. (Market report).(Brief Article)
Magazine article from: China Chemical Reporter; 12/6/2001

Facts and information from other sites

Related topics

  Edit this list

Related articles from newspapers, magazines, and more

Foundry in blast fear.
Newspaper article from: The Star (Sheffield) (Sheffield, England); 9/16/2006; 507 words ; ...were shocked to find a glass jar of picric acid - similar to dynamite - during a...the site containing about 250 ml of picric acid, which is normally kept under water...to create an 'igloo' outside. The acid was brought to the structure, where... Read more
Exogenous ochronosis.(CASE REPORTS)
Magazine article from: Journal of Drugs in Dermatology; 1/1/2006; ; 700+ words ; ...25000). (1) It results from a deficiency of homogentisic acid oxidase that causes an excess of homogentisic acid which deposits in connective tissues. (1,3) Exogenous ochronosis...unknown. (5) Topical hydroquinone may inhibit homogentisic acid oxidase in the dermis, with the result of a local ... Read more
Suspended to import sodium nitrate. (Market report).(Brief Article)
Magazine article from: China Chemical Reporter; 12/6/2001; 700+ words ; ...and the capacity has made little expansion. Sodium nitrate is mainly used to produce potassium nitrate, explosives, picric acid and dyestuffs. It is also used as de-foaming agent and de-coloring agent in the glassmaking sector, fusing agent and... Read more
Chemistry Researchers Find Unique Applications for Silicon.(Brief Article)
Magazine article from: San Diego Business Journal; 10/8/2001; 230 words ; ...military, the two professors and their students developed a silicon nanowire capable of detecting trace amounts of TNT and picric acid, an explosive commonly used in terrorist bombs. The nanowires, which are some 2,000 times smaller than the diameter... Read more
The day Hell came to Halifax; Tragedy at the root of Nova Scotia's tree.(LOCAL NEWS)
Newspaper article from: Telegram & Gazette (Worcester, MA); 12/6/2007; 700+ words ; ...full cargo of explosives toward Halifax Harbor, where it awaited escort back to France. The vessel was laden with TNT, picric acid, gun-cotton (an explosive substance) and drums of benzol fuel. Fearing identification by German U-boats, the Mont-Blanc... Read more
Xanthotrichla (yellow hair) due to selenium sulfide and dihydroxyacetone.(CASE REPORTS)(Case study)
Magazine article from: Journal of Drugs in Dermatology; 7/1/2008; ; 700+ words ; ...psoriatic topical medication anthralin, picric acid found in homemade explosives, tar...sulfide shampoo Yellow Dithranol Piric acid Tar from tobacco products MDA (4-41-methlylenedianili...include the following bentonite, citric acid, cocoam-phocarboxyglycinate, ethylene... Read more
Garver + Garver celebrates 75 years of service. (Garver and Garver Inc.) (1994 Corporate Reports: A Supplement to Arkansas Business) (Company Profile)
Magazine article from: Arkansas Business; 8/22/1994; 655 words ; ...Illinois, came to Arkansas to assist the supervising engineer on the construction of an explosives plant manufacturing picric acid in Little Rock. The following year Garver opened his own engineering practice and in 1921 he became a part-time employee... Read more
Surveying engineers: Garver & Garver, with staff of 92, is Arkansas' largest engineering firm. (Arkansas Business Rankings)
Magazine article from: Arkansas Business; 10/21/1991; ; 364 words ; ...professor of structural engineering at the University of Illinois. Garver came to Arkansas on leave of absence to work on a picric acid plant for the munitions industry. Neal Garver was joined in 1952 by his son, Mark Garver. Both are deceased. Non-Resident... Read more
Three-Dimensional Morphology of c-Kit--Positive Cellular Network and Nitrergic Innervation in the Human Gut.
Magazine article from: Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine; 7/1/2001; ; 700+ words ; ...containing all layers. Subsequently, specimens were fixed in diluted Zamboni solution (2% paraformaldehyde and 0.2% picric acid in 0.1 mol/L phosphate buffer [pH 7.3, 900 OsM]), stored overnight at +4 [degrees] C, rinsed in PBS for 8 hours at... Read more
Terror threat creates new partnerships. (Technology).(Brief Article)
Magazine article from: San Diego Business Journal; 9/9/2002; ; 598 words ; ...been contaminated, Link said. Link also helped develop tiny silicon wires in a solution to detect traces of TNT and picric acid, a common explosive used by terrorists. In the presence of ultraviolet light, the polymer lights up green. But the luminescence... Read more
Click to see an enlarged picture
picric acid. Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain)

For students and teachers!

Encyclopedia.com provides students and teachers facts, information, and biographies from verified, citable sources, including:

Encyclopedia.com provides students and teachers facts, information, and biographies from verified, citable sources, including: