Hydrolyserbare

Hydrolyserbare, or hydrolyzable, describes substances that can undergo hydrolysis, a chemical reaction in which water cleaves chemical bonds. Hydrolysis is influenced by factors such as pH, temperature, and the presence of catalysts or enzymes. In general, hydrolyzable compounds are those that readily react with water to form smaller molecules.

Common hydrolyzable functional groups and classes include esters, amides, anhydrides, glycosides, phosphoesters, and nitriles. For example, esters hydrolyze to carboxylic acids and alcohols; amides hydrolyze to carboxylic acids and amines. Nucleic acids and many carbohydrates are hydrolyzable, breaking down into nucleotides or simple sugars under appropriate conditions. The term emphasizes the susceptibility of a substance to water-driven bond cleavage, rather than the outcome of the reaction.

Contexts and implications: In biology, hydrolysis is central to digestion and metabolism, with enzymes called hydrolases catalyzing these reactions. In environmental science, hydrolysis is a key pathway for the degradation of certain pesticides and biodegradable polymers. In materials science and industry, many polymers (for example, polyesters like PLA) and protective materials are designed to be hydrolyzable, cleaving into monomers under moisture and heat. Conversely, substances lacking hydrolyzable bonds are considered relatively resistant to hydrolysis.

Language note: the Swedish term hydrolyserbara föreningar commonly corresponds to the English hydrolyzable or hydrolyzable compounds. The concept remains the same: the capacity of a substance to react with water to form smaller units.