Conformers

Definition

In the context of organic chemistry, conformers are different spatial arrangements of atoms in a molecule that result from rotation around a single bond. These configurations can interconvert through simple rotations without breaking any bonds.

Related terms

Stereochemistry:

The study of the three-dimensional structures of molecules and how these structures affect their chemical properties and reactions.

Torsional strain:

A type of strain in molecules that occurs when atoms in a molecule assume conformations that increase repulsion between electrons in bonds, often observed during the rotation about single bonds.

Newman projection:

A method used by chemists to visualize and analyze the spatial arrangement of atoms and conformations around a particular bond in a molecule by looking straight down the bond connecting two carbon atoms