phosphatation

Phosphatation is the chemical process of introducing one or more phosphate groups into a molecule, typically forming phosphate esters or phosphate salts. In many contexts the term is used interchangeably with phosphorylation, though phosphorylation is the more common English term in biology and chemistry.

There are two main pathways for phosphatation. Enzymatic phosphorylation is catalyzed by kinases that transfer a phosphate group from a donor such as ATP to substrates like proteins, sugars, or lipids. This modification often alters the activity, localization, or interactions of the molecule and is central to regulation and signaling. Chemical phosphorylation uses phosphorylating agents or reagents capable of forming phosphate esters or anhydrides, and is common in organic synthesis or inorganic chemistry when introducing phosphate groups into alcohols or other substrates.

Biological significance is broad. Phosphatation modulates enzyme activity and metabolic pathways, participates in signal transduction networks, and plays a key role in energy transfer through phosphate-containing compounds such as ATP and phosphorylated sugars. Phosphatases counterbalance kinases by removing phosphate groups, allowing dynamic regulation of cellular processes.

In materials science and surface chemistry, phosphatation is used to modify surfaces to improve adhesion, corrosion resistance, or biocompatibility. For example, phosphate coatings on metals and calcium phosphate materials are employed in implants and catalysis. The term may appear in literature from non-English sources, but the underlying concept is the incorporation of phosphate groups into molecules.

See also phosphorylation, dephosphorylation, phosphate esters, and phosphate coatings.