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🧬 One-molecule thick ⚗️ One-molecule process
monomolecular

monomolecular

9.2
A chemical reaction that depends on how much one substance is present
  • adjective
  • /ˌmɒnəˈmoʊkjələr/
  • Specialized
translation icon : monomolecular
  • A monomolecular reaction depends on the concentration of only one reactant.

Examples

  • The rate law for a monomolecular process is first order with respect to the reactant.

  • Scientists studied the monomolecular breakdown of the compound under different conditions.

  • The monomolecular reaction was surprisingly fast.

  • Is this process monomolecular in nature?

  • The rate law for a monomolecular reaction only considers the concentration of one reactant.

  • Researchers discovered that the monomolecular reaction occurred at a constant rate when temperature remained stable.

  • In a monomolecular process, the breakdown of the compound is determined solely by a single molecule's interaction.

Synonyms

unimolecular
vsmonomolecular
  • Specialized
7.3

A chemical reaction that involves only one molecule

specifies that a single molecule controls the reaction rate

How Many Molecules

trimolecular
  • Specialized
8.6
bimolecular
  • Specialized
8.4
monomolecular
  • Specialized
9.2

Surface Forms

monomolecular positive

Morphology

monomolecular = molecular (semi-transparent) = mono + molecule + ar

The word is formed by adding mono- 'single' to molecular, so the specialized chemistry sense is still compositionally regular.

Etymology

Monomolecular combines the prefix mono- meaning 'one' and molecular from molecule meaning 'tiny part', so in chemistry it describes a reaction where only one molecule affects the reaction speed.