hydroformylation

[ hahy-druh-fawr-muh-ley-shuhn ]

noun

1. the addition of a hydrogen atom and the formyl group to a double bond of a hydrocarbon by reaction with a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst.

Word History and Origins

Origin of hydroformylation¹

First recorded in 1945–50; hydro- ² + formyl + -ation