What is "isoprene"

Isoprene \I"so*prene\, n. [Etymol. uncertain.] (Chem.) An oily, volatile unsaturated hydrocarbon ( C5H8), obtained by the distillation of caoutchouc or gutta-percha, and used to make synthetic rubber by polymerization. In organic chemistry, it is viewed conceptually as the building block of the terpene series of hydrocarbons.

n. (context organic compound English) An unsaturated hydrocarbon, C₅H₈, that is readily polymerized; natural rubber (caoutchouc) is cis-1,4-polyisoprene, and trans-1,4-polyisoprene is present in gutta-percha and balata; it is the structural basis for the terpenes.

Isoprene, or 2-methyl-1,3-butadiene, is a common organic compound with the formula CH=C(CH)-CH=CH. In its pure form, it is a colorless volatile liquid. Isoprene is produced by many plants.