disproportionation

[ dis-pruh-pawr-shuh-ney-shuhn, -pohr- ]

nounChemistry.
  1. the simultaneous oxidation and reduction of a substance reacting with itself, thereby forming two dissimilar molecules, as 2C2H4→C2H6+C2H2.

Origin of disproportionation

1
First recorded in 1925–30; disproportion + -ation

Words Nearby disproportionation

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for disproportionation

disproportionation

/ (ˌdɪsprəˌpɔːʃəˈneɪʃən) /


noun
  1. a reaction between two identical molecules in which one is reduced and the other oxidized

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