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to desaturate

to desaturate

8.7
To remove hydrogen from a molecule to create a double bond in chemistry
  • verb
  • /ˌdiːˈsætʃʊreɪt/
  • Specialized
translation icon : desaturar
  • Flattened and desaturated to -81.

Examples

  • To produce the desired product, chemists will desaturate the organic compound by adding the necessary catalyst.

  • In the lab, researchers aim to desaturate the fatty acids to create healthier alternatives to saturated fats.

  • By applying heat, we can desaturate the vegetable oils, transforming them into healthier forms for cooking.

Synonyms

to dehydrogenate
vsto desaturate
  • Specialized
9.8

To remove hydrogen from a chemical compound

removes hydrogen specifically to create double bonds and make molecules unsaturated

Antonyms

to saturate
  • Specialized
19 6.0

Make something hold as much of another substance as possible, for example salt in water

How Saturated

to hydrogenate
  • Specialized
6 8.1
to desaturate
  • Specialized
8.7

Surface Forms

desaturate infinitive
desaturated past participle
desaturating present participle
desaturates third person singular

Morphology

desaturate = saturate (semi-transparent) = de + saturate

Formally de- + saturate describes removal of 'saturation', but the chemistry sense (removing hydrogen/making double bonds) is technical and not inferable by the average learner.

Etymology

Desaturate comes from de- 'remove' and saturate 'fill full', and in chemistry this means taking away hydrogen from a molecule. To desaturate a fatty acid is to remove hydrogen so it becomes less 'full' and gains double bonds, which explains the chemical change.