Meanings
plural cyclophanes
- chemistryA hydrocarbon consisting an aromatic unit (typically a benzene ring) and an aliphatic chain that forms a bridge between two positions of the aromatic ring; more complex derivatives (the superphanes) with multiple aromatic units and bridges forming cagelike structures are known.
- chemistryAny cyclic structure used as a base phane in the nomenclature of complex organic compounds
Origin
By surface analysis, cyclo- + -phane.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
cyclophane. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cyclophane
“cyclophane.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cyclophane. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cyclophane,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cyclophane.
Source: cyclophane on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.