Talk:Pyrophosphate

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Chemical structure

What is the molecular structure of pyrophosphate anion P2O7(2-)?

163.175.162.3 15:11, 2 December 2004 (UTC)[reply]

Origin of the name pyrophosphate

Anyone know the origin of the name? I would have called it diphosphate. --Drewlew 06:31, 14 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

According to the OED, pyrophosphoric acid is obtained by heating phosphoric acid, and the prefix pyro- refers to that heat (πυρ, pur, means fire in Greek). Pyrophosphate is the only molecule which contains bridging oxygen. (user jyoti)--Ben 10:55, 14 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

My understanding of "pyro-" is as follows. You get fire when you don't have water to put it out. Let's apply the principle here. Two molecules of hydrogen phosphate have 6 hydrogen atoms, 8 oxygen atoms and 2 phosphorus atoms. One molecule of hydrogen pyrophosphate has 4 hydrogen atoms, 7 oxygen atoms and 2 phosphorus atoms. Thus, in colliding two hydrogen phosphates to form one hydrogen pyrophosphate, you lost 2 hydrogen atoms and 1 oxygen atom, which is the formula for a water molecule. You lost a water molecule that you needed to "put out the fire", so you got PYROphosphate.

As a further illustration, one of the classic du Pont polyimide formulations is their product PI-2540, which is delivered in beta-stage poly(aryl amide) with suspending solvent (principally NMP). PMDA is an acronym for "pyromelletic dianhydride". This is just benzene, except between vertices 1 and 2 and again between vertices 4 and 5 you yank off the 4 hydrogens and attach two acid anhydrides (ketone-oxygen-ketone). The acid anhydride is a condensation of two carboxylic acid radicals, so PMDA represents a loss of two water molecules, whence "pyro-". User:rabjrsoaksitup —Preceding undated comment added 16:24, 11 June 2009 (UTC).[reply]

It's interesting that "losing a water", or a dehydration reaction between two hydrogen phosphates, goes well with the "pyro" part of the etymology. It makes sense that a dehydration reaction is carried by heating a sample of hydrogen phosphate. However, this is all original research without a secondary source discussing the same reaction as well as the word association. --Chibibrain (talk) 18:23, 24 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Theory for Life's First Energy Source

http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20100612/sc_livescience/newtheoryforlifesfirstenergysource —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.85.14.106 (talk) 13:17, 13 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

why PPi?

What does the "i" stand for in PPi? Strange that it's not mentioned in the article. --89.204.136.53 (talk) 22:54, 3 October 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Usually, this denotes inorganic phosphate, so perhaps some mention should be made? Or a link to the inorganic compound page? Ardkorjunglist (talk) 23:24, 18 March 2014 (UTC)[reply]

WHERE ARE SIDE EFFECTS?

WHY do you not give informations on side effects and dangers of this food additif?