alkylation

1 7.7

A process that adds a small carbon group to a molecule to change how it works

noun
/ˌæl.kɪˈleɪ.ʃən/

Specialized

: alquilación

Researchers studied how alkylation alters the structure of pharmaceutical compounds to improve their efficacy.

Examples

That poisoning seems to have a greater effect on cancer cells, because cancer cells divide more quickly than normal cells do, and the cell-killing effects of multiple DNA intercalations or alkylations kick in that much sooner.

Blog text (18)
But if you have chapter bonds, they are indeed weakened by alkylation of the carbon, but no one understands it.
They've shown alkylation, Wittig, cycloadditions, even cross-coupling.

Blog text (21)
So this is called the stork enamine alkylation and there's a much fancier kind of alkylation that was done in all these are in the same paper.
The process of alkylation modifies the chemical properties of the compound, enhancing its reactivity.
In organic chemistry, alkylation is crucial for synthesizing more complex molecules from simpler ones.

Surface Forms

alkylation singular

alkylations plural

Morphology

alkylation = alkylate (transparent) = alkyl + ation

Formed regularly from the verb 'alkylate' (alkyl + -ate) with the nominalizing suffix '-ation', yielding the process of adding an alkyl group.

Etymology

The word alkylation comes from alkyl (the name chemists use for a small part of a molecule made of carbon and hydrogen, a close cousin of 'alcohol') and the ending -ation, which means 'a process'. So alkylation is the process of adding that carbon and hydrogen part to a molecule to change its shape or function.