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Glite Dictionary
photooxidation

photooxidation

9.0
A reaction where light, especially sunlight, makes a material react with air and change or get damaged
  • noun
  • /ˌfoʊtoʊˌɑksɪˈdeɪʃən/
  • Specialized
translation icon : fotooxidación
  • The effects of photooxidation can be seen in the deterioration of paint on buildings exposed to sunlight for many years.

Examples

  • Scientists study photooxidation to understand how sunlight can break down pollutants in the atmosphere.

  • Water temperature, nutrient concentration, salinity, and photooxidation contribute to the abundance and distribution of luminous bacteria in seawater.

    Academic text (1993)

  • In plants, photooxidation plays a crucial role by converting light energy into chemical energy during photosynthesis.

Surface Forms

photooxidation singular
photooxidations plural

Morphology

photooxidation = oxidation (transparent) = photo + oxid + ation

The word is built transparently by adding the light-related prefix 'photo-' to the noun 'oxidation'.

Etymology

Photooxidation comes from photo- meaning 'light' (as in photograph) and oxidation meaning 'rusting' or 'combining with oxygen'. So, photooxidation is when light makes a material oxidize or 'rust', which helps explain why sunlight can fade colours or damage skin.