Definition of Abstraction

A chemical reaction or transformation, the main feature of which is the bimolecular removal of an atom (neutral or charged) from a molecular entity. For example:

CH3COCH3 + (i-C3H7)2N- (CH3COCH2)- + (i-C3H7)2NH

(proton abstraction from acetone)

CH4 + Cl. H3C. + HCl

(hydrogen abstraction from methane)

See detachment.