To attach a benzoyl group (a benzene ring with a carbonyl) to a molecule, a common reaction in organic synthesis.
'Benzoyl' (benzene + carbonyl) plus '-ate' verb suffix. Benzoylation became a standard reaction in 19th-century organic chemistry.
Benzoylation is like putting a chemical label on a molecule—the benzoyl group is bulky and distinctive, so it helps chemists identify and track molecules, and it's one of the first transformations taught to organic chemistry students.
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