Some molecules have a rotation that is centered on a chirality carbon atom and is named by the way the other atoms of the molecule rotate. There are some rules to it, but L is levorotatory and means it rotates to the left or counter-clockwise. D is dextroroatory and spins to the right, or clockwise.
Comment on Enantiomers
JoShmoe@ani.social 2 months ago
I’m not smart enough to know this.
FoxyFerengi@startrek.website 2 months ago
protist@mander.xyz 2 months ago
These terms can describe any molecule, btw, doesn’t have to contain carbon
deranger@sh.itjust.works 2 months ago
Not any molecule, it’s gotta be able to have stereoisomers in the first place. There’s no R or S water for example.
protist@mander.xyz 2 months ago
Well yes, it does have to have chirality, I just meant it doesn’t have to contain any specific elements.
I’m definitely no expert, but isn’t the D/L notation used in all of chemistry? Sometimes it’s written Δ/Λ, but that’s the same thing. Doesn’t it just describe a molecule’s geometry in a different way from R/S?
FoxyFerengi@startrek.website 2 months ago
Fair! I’ve only taken organic chemistry so far, so that’s what I remembered
ImplyingImplications@lemmy.ca 2 months ago
It’s the title of the post: Enantiomer an identical chemical structure but mirrored. Think of how your hands are left and right. They’re identical in their structure, but are mirrored. Molecules can have the same thing and were denoted by L and D (but now use + and -)