What does dehydrogenating mean?
Dehydrogenating is the technical term for removing hydrogen atoms from a chemical compound. The process often forms a double bond or otherwise increases the degree of unsaturation, as when a simple alkane is converted into an alkene. It is important in chemical manufacturing, fuel processing, and biochemical reactions, and it commonly involves catalysts, high temperatures, or controlled atmospheres. The word is a present participle of dehydrogenate and is most often used when describing an active process rather than as a standalone noun. It should not be confused with dehydrating, which removes water, or hydrogenating, which adds hydrogen. Although dehydrogenating is a specialised chemical term, it expresses a precise transformation that is central to organic chemistry and many industrial applications.
verb (present participle/gerund)Removing hydrogen atoms from a chemical compound in a chemical reaction, typically producing a more unsaturated compound.
- The chemical process of removing hydrogen atoms from a compound, generally to form a less saturated or more unsaturated substance.
"The laboratory is dehydrogenating ethanol to produce acetaldehyde and hydrogen."
"The new reactor is dehydrogenating propane to obtain propene and hydrogen."
"Researchers studied the effect of temperature on dehydrogenating ethanol over a metal catalyst."
Stripping hydrogen atoms from a molecule can create a double bond, making the molecule more reactive and often more useful in chemical manufacturing.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does dehydrogenating come from?
Dehydrogenating combines the Latin-derived prefix de-, meaning removal or reversal, with hydrogen, from Greek roots meaning water and producing. The base verb dehydrogenate was formed in English to describe the removal of hydrogen from a compound, and dehydrogenating is its present participle. Related words include hydrogen, hydride, and hydrocarbon, all of which share the hydrogen root.
Related word forms
How dehydrogenating is actually used
Technical term used mainly in chemistry, chemical engineering, and biochemical or industrial processes. It is normally used in continuous or ongoing contexts as a present participle.
Easily confused with dehydrogenating
Dehydrating removes water or water-containing components, whereas dehydrogenating removes hydrogen atoms from a chemical compound.
Hydrogenating adds hydrogen to a compound, while dehydrogenating removes hydrogen from it.