Arsenophenol

/ˌɑɹsɛnoʊˈfɛnɔl/ noun

Definition

A compound formed from the combination of arsenic and phenol, explored in early pharmaceutical research as a potential therapeutic agent.

Etymology

Combination of 'arsenic,' 'phenol,' plus '-ol' (chemistry suffix for compounds with hydroxyl groups). Reflects early 20th-century drug synthesis terminology.

Kelly Says

Arsenophenol was part of a vast chemical library of experimental compounds that Ehrlich and his colleagues screened—most failed, but this trial-and-error approach eventually created modern drugs.

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