Sidemolecules

Sidemolecules are a class of compounds that are structurally related to a primary or parent molecule but possess a modification. This modification is typically a small change, such as the addition, subtraction, or substitution of a functional group. The term "sidemolecule" is not a formally recognized or widely used chemical term in scientific literature. Instead, chemists generally refer to these related compounds using more specific nomenclature based on their precise structural differences.

For example, in medicinal chemistry, analogs of a drug molecule with slight structural alterations are often synthesized and tested to understand structure-activity relationships. These analogs might be considered "sidemolecules" in a colloquial sense, as they are variations on a core theme. Similarly, in organic chemistry, isomers are molecules with the same molecular formula but different structural arrangements, and these could also be viewed as sidemolecules of each other. However, precise chemical terminology would differentiate between constitutional isomers, stereoisomers, enantiomers, and diastereomers. The concept of a sidemolecule implies a parent structure from which variations are derived, often for research or synthetic purposes, to explore how these subtle changes impact the molecule's properties or reactivity.