An unstable positively charged chemical ion created when an aromatic amine reacts with nitrous acid, used to introduce various functional groups into benzene rings.
From 'benzene' + 'diazo' (from 'dia-' meaning 'two' in Greek, referring to two nitrogen atoms) + '-nium' (suffix for positively charged ions). This term emerged in the late 1800s as chemists developed the diazo reaction.
Try Another Word