Having undergone carbonylation, a chemical process where a carbonyl group (carbon double-bonded to oxygen) is introduced into a molecule.
From carbonyl (the CO functional group) plus -ate (to introduce) plus -d (past participle). 20th-century chemistry terminology from organic and inorganic chemistry.
Carbonylation is everywhere in the chemical industry—it's how we make plastics, pharmaceuticals, and fuels—but the reactions often require toxic carbon monoxide gas, so chemists are racing to find safer alternatives for large-scale production.
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