dimerized

Dimerized is the adjective relating to dimerization, the process by which two molecular units (monomers) join to form a dimer. Dimers may be bonded covalently or held together by noncovalent interactions, and the process can be reversible depending on conditions such as concentration, temperature, and solvent.

In chemistry, dimerization occurs when two monomers react to form a dimer, an intermediate or a stable species. Hydrogen-bonded dimers are common in carboxylic acids, where two molecules associate through a pair of hydrogen bonds, especially in the gas phase or in nonpolar solvents. Covalent dimerization forms larger, more persistent units and can be a step in polymerization or catalytic cycles.

In biochemistry and cell biology, many proteins function as dimers. Homodimers involve two identical subunits; heterodimers involve two different ones. Dimerization can affect binding specificity, allosteric regulation, stability, and signaling, including activation of receptors and transcription factors.

In condensed matter physics and materials science, dimerization describes a structural or electronic pattern in which bonds alternate in strength along a one-dimensional lattice, producing a dimerized ground state and sometimes opening an energy gap (for example in spin-Peierls systems).

Understanding and controlling dimerization is important in synthesis, catalysis, pharmacology, and the design of functional materials, as it influences reactivity, stability, and properties.