Organic Chemistry Terms Starting with L
Definitions of 22 organic chemistry terms that start with L, such as L-Amino Acid, L-Sugar, Labile. Plain-language explanations linked to reactions and…
Terms starting with L
- L-Amino Acid: Amino acid belonging to the L stereochemical family.
- L-Sugar: Sugar belonging to the L stereochemical family.
- Labile: Easily changed, removed, or broken.
- Lactone: Cyclic ester.
- Leaving Group: Group that leaves with an electron pair during a reaction.
- Lecithins: Phosphatidylcholine-type phospholipids found in membranes.
- Leveling Effect: A solvent makes very strong acids or bases appear equally strong because they react completely with the solvent.
- Levorotatory: Rotates plane-polarized light counterclockwise; written (−).
- Lewis Acid: Electron-pair acceptor.
- Lewis Base: Electron-pair donor.
- Lewis Structure: Drawing showing bonds, lone pairs, and sometimes formal charges.
- Linear Polymer: Polymer made mainly of long unbranched chains.
- Lipid: Broad family of mostly hydrophobic biological molecules.
- Lipid Bilayer: Two layers of lipids forming the basic structure of cell membranes.
- Lithium Dialkyl Cuprate: R₂CuLi, another name/type of Gilman reagent.
- Living Polymer: Polymerization system where active chain ends remain capable of continued growth.
- Localized Lone Pair: Lone pair mainly located on one atom instead of delocalized by resonance.
- Locant: Number showing where a substituent or functional group is located in an IUPAC name.
- London Dispersion Forces: Weak attractions caused by temporary electron fluctuations; present in all molecules.
- Lone Pair: Pair of valence electrons not used in a bond.
- Loss of a Leaving Group: Step where a leaving group departs with the bonding electron pair.
- LUMO: Lowest Unoccupied Molecular Orbital, lowest-energy empty MO.