divalent

[ dahy-vey-luhnt ]

adjective

, Chemistry.

1. having a valence of two, as the ferrous ion, Fe ++ .

divalent

/ ˈdaɪˌveɪ-; daɪˈveɪlənt /

adjective

1. having a valency of two
2. having two valencies

Derived Forms

• diˈvalency, noun

Other Words From

• di·valence noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of divalent¹

First recorded in 1865–70; di- ¹ + -valent

Example Sentences

The new pigments, which could be used as energy-efficient coatings for vehicles and buildings, are based on divalent chromium, Cr2+, and are the first to use itas a chromophore; chromophores are the parts of a molecule that determine color by reflecting some wavelengths of light while absorbing others.

From Science Daily

"To date, no earth-based mineral has been reported to contain chromium in the divalent state as one of the components," said Subramanian, the Milton Harris Professor of Materials Science in the OSU College of Science.

From Science Daily

"However, the analysis of lunar mineral samples collected from Apollo missions showed the occurrence of chromium in the divalent state."

From Science Daily

Divalent chromium has the same number of unpaired electrons as trivalent manganese, the chromophore responsible for the intense color of YInMn blue, which Subramanian's team discovered 15 years ago.

From Science Daily

In the new study, Subramanian, research associate Jun Li and graduate student Anjali Verma were inspired by the divalent copper that serves as a chromophore in Egyptian blue, which is the world's first known synthetic pigment and dates to more than 5,000 years ago.

From Science Daily