hydroxylate

Hydroxylate is a term used in chemistry with several related meanings tied to the hydroxyl group (−OH). In inorganic and coordination chemistry, hydroxylate can refer to species in which a hydroxide-like ligand is bound to a metal center. The ligand is often denoted OH− or described as a hydroxy ligand; metal centers with OH groups can be discussed as metal hydroxylates, sometimes forming bridging or terminal M–OH motifs. Terminology varies by author, and many sources simply use hydroxide to name the ligand itself.

More commonly, hydroxylate is used as a verb meaning to introduce a hydroxyl group into a molecule. Hydroxylation is a widespread transformation in biology and chemistry. Enzymes such as cytochrome P450 monooxygenases catalyze the insertion of an oxygen atom into C–H bonds to form alcohols, yielding hydroxylated products. Chemical hydroxylation can also proceed through oxidants or radical processes, outside of enzymatic systems.

As a noun, hydroxylate can refer to the product of such a transformation: a hydroxylated compound. In pharmacology and toxicology, metabolites formed by hydroxylation are described as hydroxylates or hydroxylated metabolites, often increasing polarity and facilitating excretion.

In summary, hydroxylate has multiple related senses: it can denote a metal-bound hydroxyl-containing species in inorganic chemistry, the act of adding a hydroxyl group to a molecule (hydroxylation), or the resulting hydroxylated product. The precise meaning depends on the scientific context.