Definition

Relating to a type of chemical reaction where a bond is broken and the electrons are unevenly distributed between the resulting fragments.

Example

In heterolytic cleavage, one atom takes both electrons from the bond, leading to the formation of charged species.

Conversation

I was reading about chemical reactions and came across the term heterolytic cleavage.

Oh really? What does that mean exactly?

It refers to a type of reaction where a bond breaks unevenly, creating charged particles.

That sounds interesting! Chemistry has so many unique concepts like that.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Heterolytic → It is formed from "hetero-" (from Greek "heteros", meaning different) and "lytic" (from Greek "lytikos", meaning able to loosen or dissolve). The word describes a process involving the breaking of a bond in a way that produces different charged species, hence the term 'different breaking'.

Memory Tip

Think of 'different' ('hetero-') and 'able to loosen' ('lytic') to remember that 'heterolytic' refers to a type of bond breaking that results in different charged particles.

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