Hydroliza

Hydroliza, or hydrolysis, is a chemical reaction in which a molecule is cleaved into two parts by the addition of water. In many cases, water provides a hydrogen atom to one fragment and a hydroxyl group to the other, effectively breaking a bond. The reaction is commonly facilitated by catalysts such as acids, bases, or enzymes known as hydrolases.

In organic chemistry, hydrolysis breaks bonds such as esters, amides, nitriles, and glycosidic links. Ester hydrolysis yields an alcohol and a carboxylic acid (or the corresponding carboxylate salt under basic conditions, a process called saponification). Amide hydrolysis produces a carboxylic acid and an amine. Nitrile hydrolysis forms a carboxylic acid after acid or base catalysis. Glycosidic bond hydrolysis converts disaccharides into monosaccharides. The rate and products depend on pH, temperature, and the presence of catalysts.

In biology, hydrolysis is essential for digestion and metabolism. Many macromolecules are broken down by hydrolytic enzymes called hydrolases, including proteases (proteins), amylases (starches), lipases (fats), and nucleases (nucleic acids). Glycosidases split carbohydrates, and phosphodiester bonds in nucleic acids can be hydrolyzed by nucleases. Hydrolysis also underpins energy release and turnover processes, such as ATP hydrolysis.

Applications of hydrolysis span chemical synthesis, materials recycling, and environmental degradation of esters and other compounds. It is a fundamental tool in laboratories and industrial processes for cleaving protective groups, activating substrates, and decomposing polymers.