Protonolysis

Protonolysis is the cleavage of a chemical bond by acids. Many examples are found in organometallic chemistry since the reaction requires polar M^δ+-R^δ- bonds, where δ+ and δ- signify partial positive and negative charges associated with the bonding atoms. When compounds containing these bonds are treated with acid (HX), these bonds cleave:

M-R + HX → M-X + H-R

Hydrolysis (X⁻ = OH⁻) is a special case of protonolysis. Compounds susceptible to hydrolysis often undergo protonolysis.