chromophore

[ kroh-muh-fawr, -fohr ]

noun

1. any chemical group that produces color in a compound, as the azo group −N=N−.

chromophore

/ ˈkrəʊməˌfɔː /

noun

1. a group of atoms in a chemical compound that are responsible for the colour of the compound

Derived Forms

• ˌchromoˈphoric, adjective

Other Words From

• chro·mo·phor·ic [kroh-m, uh, -, fawr, -ik, -, for, -ik], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of chromophore¹

First recorded in 1875–80; chromo- + -phore

Example Sentences

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

"Our idea was to label sugar molecules with a chromophore, a chemical that gives a molecule its colour," explained Cecioni.

From Science Daily

In Fig. 2d the transient absorption spectrum of a chromophore cresyl violet in solution as a function of the pump–probe time delay is shown.

From Nature

The chromophore in the middle of the barrel is the key to its fluorescence.

From Nature

Three amino acids at the end of the helix create the chromophore — the part responsible for the fluorescence.

From Nature