A chemical compound or class of compounds containing an azo group (-N=N-) incorporated into or adjacent to an aromatic or heterocyclic ring system.
From 'azo-' (containing -N=N-) + '-xine' (possibly from Greek 'xanthos' meaning yellow, as many azo compounds are colored). May derive from 'azine' (six-membered nitrogen ring) with azo substitution.
Many azo compounds are brilliantly colored because the azo group is conjugated with aromatic rings—this is why synthetic azo dyes revolutionized textile manufacturing in the 1800s.
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