Definition
Hydrolysis (Greek: υδωρ [hydor] = “water” and λύσις [lýsis] = “solution”) is a chemical reaction in which a compound is cleaved by water. If a proton-donating compound (Brønsted acid) catalyzes the reaction, it is called “acid hydrolysis.” Formally one part of the cleaved reaction product receives a proton (H+), the other a hydroxyl (OH−) moiety of a water molecule. Hydrolysis can also be catalyzed by a base. The reverse reaction is called a “condensation reaction.”
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Dörr, M. (2015). Acid Hydrolysis. In: Gargaud, M., et al. Encyclopedia of Astrobiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-44185-5_21
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-44185-5_21
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