pyrophosphate

[ pahy-ruh-fos-feyt ]

noun

, Chemistry.

1. a salt or ester of pyrophosphoric acid.

pyrophosphate

/ ˌpaɪrəʊˈfɒsfeɪt /

noun

1. any salt or ester of pyrophosphoric acid

pyrophosphate

/ pī′rə-fŏs′fāt′ /

1. A salt or ester of pyrophosphoric acid, containing the group P 2 O 7 .

Word History and Origins

Origin of pyrophosphate¹

First recorded in 1830–40; pyrophosph(oric acid) + -ate ²

Example Sentences

But it was not clear how vitamin B1, or its derivative thiamine pyrophosphate, allowed proteins to expand their chemical repertoire.

From Nature

Ingredients in regular marshmallows can include corn syrup, dextrose and a chemical called tetrasodium pyrophosphate -- which is sometimes found in household detergents.

From Los Angeles Times

It’s certainly a much more labor-intensive process than simply walking to the nearest McDonald’s location and buying some — but this way, you can make them without chemical additives like citric acid and sodium acid pyrophosphate.

From Time

At equilibrium, forward and backward steps would occur with equal frequency; normally other metabolic processes drive the reaction forward by removing pyrophosphate and supplying the four kinds of nucleoside triphosphate.

From Scientific American

They give a characteristic pale red precipitate with sodium pyrophosphate, soluble in an excess of the precipitant; they also form precipitates on the addition of platinic chloride and potassium ferrocyanide.

From Project Gutenberg