deactivation energy

noun

The amount of energy needed to slow down or stop a reaction.

Meanings

noundeactivation energy (countable and uncountable, plural deactivation energies)

plural deactivation energies

  1. countablephysicaluncountablechemistryThe amount of energy needed to slow down or stop a reaction.

    However, in the first case (deactivation energy << main reaction energy) there appears to be a uniform variation of activity throughout the bed.

    2012, John Butt, Activation, Deactivation, and Poisoning of Catalysts, page 372
    3 more examples

    If we disregard the deactivation energy, which can be done, except, perhaps, for the lowest vibrational levels, then, according to Bates' theoretical computations, the atom-exchange rate constant must be large, ~10⁻¹⁰ cm³sec⁻¹.

    1971, Geomagnetism and Aeronomy - Volume 11, page 427

    Activation energy is a measure of the minimum energy needed by the photosynthesis system to react and deactivation energy is the maximum energy the system can cope with before the reaction decreases (Brady 1990).

    2004, Icelandic Agricultural Sciences - Volumes 16-20, page 46

    The highest deactivation energy was obtained for hydrodenitrogenation of the nonbasic nitrogen (33.8 kcal/mol), while the deactivation energies for the other reactions were in the range of 20–27 kcal/mol.

    2016, Jorge Ancheyta, Deactivation of Heavy Oil Hydroprocessing Catalysts, page 267
Cite this entry
APA

deactivation energy. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/deactivation%20energy

MLA

“deactivation energy.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/deactivation%20energy. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “deactivation energy,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/deactivation%20energy.

Source: deactivation energy on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.