lead dioxide

[ led ]

noun

, Chemistry.

1. a brown crystalline compound, PbO 2 , toxic, insoluble in water and alcohol, soluble in glacial acetic acid: used as an oxidizing agent, in lead-acid batteries, and in analytical chemistry.

Word History and Origins

Origin of lead dioxide¹

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

It was 1859 before we got the first rechargeable battery, made from lead, lead dioxide and sulphuric acid.

From BBC

Nor can they comprehend that the land they are playing on is poisoned by lead dioxide, a chemical so toxic it causes brain damage and nerve deterioration before it kills.

From Salon

One of the electrodes is composed of metallic lead, the other of porous lead dioxide.

From Economist

Lead dioxide, on the other hand, is highly electronegative, preferring to absorb electrons in chemical reactions.

From Economist

However, although the properties of these basic chemical reactions have been measured and understood to the nth degree, no one has been able to show from first principles exactly why lead and lead dioxide tend to be so electropositive and electronegative.

From Economist