Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
etherification

etherification

1 9.9
A chemical process that makes an ether from an alcohol by replacing one hydrogen with a small carbon group
  • noun
  • /ˌiːθəˈrɪfɪˌkeɪʃən/
  • Specialized
: éterificación
  • The chemical reaction known as etherification converts an alcohol into an ether by replacing a hydrogen atom.

Examples

  • Methods of allylic etherification usually involve synthetic procedures due to the need for activation of the starter aliphatic alcohol.

    Blog text (1)

  • The coefficient of etherification (K et) was calculated as the ratio between total CH and ether-linked CH.

    Academic text (1996)

  • The authors report a breakthrough in the allylic etherification of aliphatic alcohols, the application of which should be substantial, as the team now turns its attention to possible applications in asymmetric synthesis.

    Blog text (1)

  • In many laboratories, etherification is regarded as a fundamental process in the synthesis of various organic compounds.

  • The etherification process is essential for the production of solvents used in pharmaceuticals.

Surface Forms

etherification singular
etherifications plural

Morphology

etherification = etherify (semi-transparent) = ether + ify + ation

The final step from 'etherify' to 'etherification' is a regular nominalization, but the term is a specialized chemistry word that is not fully predictable for average learners.

Etymology

Etherification comes from ether, the name of the chemical 'ether' that was named from a Greek word for 'upper air', and the ending -ification, which means 'making'. So etherification is literally 'making an ether', which explains the chemical process of turning an alcohol into an ether.