What does dehydrogenise mean?
Dehydrogenise means to remove hydrogen from a chemical substance, particularly an organic compound. The process is fundamental both to industrial chemistry and to biology: petroleum refineries dehydrogenise hydrocarbons to manufacture products such as styrene and butadiene, while living cells rely on enzymes called dehydrogenases that strip hydrogen atoms from molecules like alcohols and sugars as part of normal metabolism. In laboratory practice, the operation is usually achieved with heat, catalysts such as platinum or palladium, or oxidising agents that accept the liberated hydrogen. The word is strictly technical, appearing mainly in research papers, textbooks, and patent literature, and it carries no figurative or colloquial use. Its opposite is hydrogenise (or hydrogenate), which adds hydrogen instead of removing it. Writers should note the regional spelling variation: 'dehydrogenise' with -ise is preferred in British English, whereas 'dehydrogenize' dominates in American usage, and 'dehydrogenate' remains the most internationally common equivalent.
verbTo remove hydrogen from a chemical compound, especially in an organic reaction; the reverse of hydrogenation.
- (Chemistry) To remove hydrogen from a compound, typically in organic or biochemical reactions.
"The enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase works to dehydrogenise ethanol during metabolism in the liver."
"Catalytic reforming units dehydrogenise naphtha feedstocks to produce high-octane aromatic compounds."
"In the laboratory, the researchers used a palladium catalyst to dehydrogenise the cyclic amine into its unsaturated analogue."
Every time your liver breaks down alcohol, enzymes are busily dehydrogenising ethanol molecule by molecule — the same reaction chemists perform industrially to make styrene for plastics.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of dehydrogenise
The word combines the Greek-derived prefix 'de-' (indicating removal), 'hydrogen' itself coined from Greek roots meaning 'water-former', and the verb-forming suffix '-ise'. It was formed in the nineteenth century as chemists developed systematic nomenclature for describing reactions that add or remove elements. Cognates include 'dehydrate', 'hydrogenate', and 'dehydrogenate', all built on the same 'hydro-' root.
Related word forms
How dehydrogenise is actually used
A technical term used almost exclusively in chemistry and biochemistry. The '-ise' spelling is chiefly British; American scientific writing prefers 'dehydrogenize', and 'dehydrogenate' is the more widely used synonym in both varieties.
Easily confused with dehydrogenise
'Dehydrogenise' and 'dehydrogenate' mean essentially the same thing, but 'dehydrogenise' uses the -ise suffix (favoured in British English), while 'dehydrogenate' is the more common international scientific form.
'Reductise' is not a standard word; 'dehydrogenise' specifically refers to removal of hydrogen atoms rather than reduction generally.