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Glite Dictionary
🧬 A molecular shape 👥 A follower
conformer

conformer

9.8
A form of a molecule with a certain shape
  • noun
  • /kənˈfɔːrmər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : conformador

Examples

  • Finally, it's enormously valuable to have a feel for a few key numbers, foremost among which may be the relationship between equilibrium constant and free energy; knowing this tells you, for instance, that it takes only a difference of 1.8 kcal/mol of free energy between two conformers to almost completely shift the conformational equilibrium to the side of the more stable one.

    Blog text (7)

  • After running the MD with two different force fields and different starting velocities, they consistently see the same results: a major conformer without a gamma turn and a minor one (about 6%) with a gamma turn, a usually forbidden motif.

    Blog text (24)

  • The chemist identified the most stable conformer of the molecule during the experiment.

  • Researchers are studying various conformers to understand how molecular shape influences its behavior.

  • In this reaction, the predominant conformer adopted a specific shape that enhanced its reactivity.

Surface Forms

conformer singular
conformers plural

Morphology

conformer = conform (semi-transparent) = conform + er

Morphologically 'conform' + '-er' is clear, but the specialized scientific meaning 'a particular molecular shape' requires domain knowledge.

Etymology

Conformer comes from the parts con- 'together' and form 'shape', giving the idea of 'coming together into a shape'. So, in chemistry a conformer is one of the different shapes a molecule can take.