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Glite Dictionary
stereospecificity

stereospecificity

1 9.9
A chemical property that makes a reaction produce only one shape of molecule
  • noun
  • /ˌstɛrɪoʊspɪˈsɪfɪsɪti/
  • Specialized
: estereoespecificidad
  • In asymmetric synthesis, achieving stereospecificity is crucial for obtaining the correct molecular configuration.

Examples

  • The reaction showed perfect stereospecificity, producing only the desired isomer of the compound.

  • Although the stereospecificity of the L-arginine infusion was not tested, since we cannot infuse D-arginine in man, our results are consistent with previous experimental findings.

    Academic text (1991)

  • The chemists celebrated their success in demonstrating stereospecificity, as the product had a unique arrangement of atoms.

Surface Forms

stereospecificity singular
stereospecificities plural

Morphology

stereospecificity = stereospecific (opaque) = stereo + specific + ity

The adjective 'stereospecific' is analyzable as 'stereo-' + 'specific', but the combining form 'stereo-' (stereochemistry sense) is specialized and not obvious to general learners.

Etymology

Stereospecificity begins with stereo-, from an old Greek part meaning 'solid' or 'three-dimensional', and ends with specificity, meaning 'exact' or 'one particular'. So, stereospecificity describes a chemical reaction that makes one exact three-dimensional shape of a molecule.