Levorotatory
What is Levorotatory?
Levorotatory describes an optically active substance that rotates the plane of polarised light to the left (counterclockwise) when viewed from the detector side. The prefix (–) or l– is used to indicate levorotatory compounds. The levorotatory direction is opposite to dextrorotatory (+). The direction of rotation is a physical property and is not directly related to the R/S or D/L stereochemical designations.
Key Facts
Frequently Asked Questions
Levorotatory describes an optically active substance that rotates the plane of polarised light to the left (counterclockwise) when viewed from the detector side. The prefix (–) or l– is used to indicate levorotatory compounds. The levorotatory direction is opposite to dextrorotatory (+). The direction of rotation is a physical property and is not directly related to the R/S or D/L stereochemical designations.