mercaptan
nounUK /məˈkapt(ə)n/ · US /mɚˈkæpt(ə)n/
Etymology Borrowed from German Mercaptan, from Danish mercaptan; coined by organic chemist William Christopher Zeise in 1832 from mer(curius) (“mercury”) + captan(s) (“capturing”), because the thiolate group bonds very strongly with mercury compounds.
1
Chemistry, Natural sciences, Physical sciences Any of a class of organic compounds of sulphur, ( R-SH ) where R represents an alkyl or other organic substituent. They tend to be foul-smelling. They are also termed thiols or thioalcohols.
- Though this might come as a surprise, gas actually has no odor; gas companies are obligated to odorize it to make it safer for use in homes. Mercaptan, a harmless chemical, is added to create the distinct smell in both natural gas (methane) and liquid petroleum gas (propane, butane).2022 April 25, AlfredCamera, “Spotting Gas Leak Symptoms and Staying Safe”, in Home Security Expert:
- Derived terms
- ethyl mercaptan, mercaptoundecanoic, mercapturic, methyl mercaptan, phenyl mercaptan, polymercaptan
- Related terms
- mercapto, sulfide, organosulfide