an ether in which the oxygen atom is part of a ring of three atoms
1. an organic compound with a reactive group consisting of an oxygen bonded to two carbons that are bonded together.an organic compound with a reactive group consisting of an oxygen bonded to two carbons that are bonded together. 2. a cyclic ether of three members. Also, OXIRANE.a cyclic ether of three members.
a very reactive oxidized form of organic compound, in which two carbon atoms are bonded both to each other and to a single oxygen atom in an organic molecule. For example, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon epoxides and cholesterol epoxides are carcinogenic and mutagenic. Epoxides are excellent cross-linkers, and this reaction is catalyzed by free radicals; this is what happens when you mix epoxy resin and catalyst-the pastes of liquids cross-link to form a hard solid.
Cyclic compound formed by adding a single oxygen atom across the double bond of an alkene. These reactive compounds are used in industrial-scale organic synthesis.
An epoxide is a cyclic ether with only three ring atoms. This ring approximately is an equilateral triangle, i.e. its bond angles are about 60°, which makes it highly strained. The strained ring makes epoxides more reactive than other ethers, especially towards nucleophiles.