'Ate' is not a specific word. It is a suffix (an affix that is placed at the end of a word) when naming chemical substances. The suffix 'ate' is most commonly used when naming esters, for example, nitrate, sulfate etc.
The suffix of a chemical substance is usually indicative of its oxidation state of an atom within a polyatomic ion. 'Ate' is used when the oxidation number is higher, and 'ite' is used when the oxidation number is lower. For example, in Nitrogen's form of NO3-1 (Nitrate) the oxidation number is +5, and this is higher than the nitrogen's oxidation number in NO2-1 (Nitrite), which has an oxidation number of +3.
An ester is a chemical compound which is formed by reacting an oxoacid (an acid that contains oxygen) with a hydroxyl compound such as phenol or alcohol. They are formed when at least one hydroxyl group (-OH) is replaced by an alkoxy (-O-alkyl) group which is most commonly found in carboxylic acids or alcohols. In other words, an ester is formed by condensing an acid with an alcohol.
Esters naturally occur in certain fats and oils as fatty esters of glycerol. Esters that have a low molecular weight are often used as part of fragrances of essential oils and pheromones.
Esters are also extremely important in humans, especially phosphoesters as these form the important background of DNA. A phosphodiester bond is a group of extremely strong covalent bonds that exists between a phosphate group and two t-carbon ring carbohydrates over two ester bonds. Phosphoesters are very important to the majority of life on this Earth.
Esters are also important in other fields too such as nitrate esters are well known for their volatile and explosive properties, for example, nitroglycerin. And polyesters, which include naturally occurring chemical, form important plastics that we use every day for example, polyethylene terephthalate (PET).
The suffix of a chemical substance is usually indicative of its oxidation state of an atom within a polyatomic ion. 'Ate' is used when the oxidation number is higher, and 'ite' is used when the oxidation number is lower. For example, in Nitrogen's form of NO3-1 (Nitrate) the oxidation number is +5, and this is higher than the nitrogen's oxidation number in NO2-1 (Nitrite), which has an oxidation number of +3.
An ester is a chemical compound which is formed by reacting an oxoacid (an acid that contains oxygen) with a hydroxyl compound such as phenol or alcohol. They are formed when at least one hydroxyl group (-OH) is replaced by an alkoxy (-O-alkyl) group which is most commonly found in carboxylic acids or alcohols. In other words, an ester is formed by condensing an acid with an alcohol.
Esters naturally occur in certain fats and oils as fatty esters of glycerol. Esters that have a low molecular weight are often used as part of fragrances of essential oils and pheromones.
Esters are also extremely important in humans, especially phosphoesters as these form the important background of DNA. A phosphodiester bond is a group of extremely strong covalent bonds that exists between a phosphate group and two t-carbon ring carbohydrates over two ester bonds. Phosphoesters are very important to the majority of life on this Earth.
Esters are also important in other fields too such as nitrate esters are well known for their volatile and explosive properties, for example, nitroglycerin. And polyesters, which include naturally occurring chemical, form important plastics that we use every day for example, polyethylene terephthalate (PET).
