deprotonation

Deprotonation is the process where a molecule, typically an acid, loses a proton (which is a hydrogen ion, H⁺). Think of it as removing a small, positively charged piece from the molecule. When this happens, the molecule becomes less acidic and changes its properties. This process is important in chemistry because it influences how substances react and interact, especially in biological systems and solutions. Deprotonation often depends on the environment's pH — the more basic (or less acidic) the solution, the more likely deprotonation will occur.