dextroisomer

A dextroisomer is a specific type of stereoisomer. Stereoisomers are molecules that have the same chemical formula and the same atoms connected by the same bonds, but differ in the three-dimensional arrangement of their atoms in space. Within the realm of stereoisomers, enantiomers are a pair of mirror images that are non-superimposable, much like a left hand and a right hand.

A dextroisomer is one of these enantiomers. Specifically, it is the enantiomer that rotates the plane of polarized light to the right, in a clockwise direction. This property is known as optical activity. The direction of this rotation is indicated by the prefix "d-" or "R" in the compound's name, though "R" is part of the more systematic Cahn-Ingold-Prelog priority system.

The opposite enantiomer is called a levoisomer, which rotates polarized light to the left, or counter-clockwise, and is designated with a "l-" or "S" prefix. It is important to note that the dextrorotatory or levorotatory nature of a molecule does not necessarily correlate with its absolute configuration (R or S). For instance, an R-configured molecule can be either dextrorotatory or levorotatory. The biological activity of dextroisomers and their levo counterparts can differ significantly, as biological systems often interact stereospecifically with molecules.