noun
- Plural of dinitrophenol; chemical compounds containing a benzene ring with two nitro groups and a hydroxyl group, used historically as weight-loss drugs and in industrial applications.
Usage: chemistry; technical; often abbreviated as DNP; dangerous and banned for human consumption in many countries
Examples
- Dinitrophenols were once marketed as diet pills but were banned due to their extreme toxicity.
- The chemical structure of dinitrophenols makes them useful in certain industrial processes.
- Exposure to dinitrophenols can cause severe poisoning and even death.
- Researchers studied the properties of dinitrophenols in the laboratory.
- The FDA prohibited the sale of dinitrophenols for human consumption in the 1930s.