A yellow crystalline organic compound containing two benzene rings connected by two oxygen atoms, used in dye synthesis and photography.
From 'benz-' (benzene) + '-il' (a chemical suffix for ketone groups). Discovered in the mid-1800s during the expansion of aromatic chemistry.
Benzil is basically two benzene rings hugging through oxygen atoms, creating a molecule so stable and useful it became a building block for making everything from photographic dyes to modern pharmaceuticals.
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