autoprotolysis
/ˌɔːtə(ʊ)ˌprə(ʊ)ˈtɒlɪsɪs/Chemistry
noun
A reversible reaction in which a proton is transferred from one molecule of a solvent (especially water) to another, giving a positive ion and a negative ion.
Origin
1930s; earliest use found in Chemical Abstracts. From auto- + protolysis, after German Autoprotolyse.