Illustrated Glossary of Organic Chemistry
Levorotatory (
l
; (-)):
A substance that rotates
plane polarized light
in a counterclockwise direction. Indicated by including (-) before the compound name, or in the older literature,
l
, such as (-)-nicotine or (
l
)-nicotine.
(
S
)-(-)-nicotine is levorotatory.
Related terms:
Dextrorotatory
,
(+)
,
d
,
optical activity
,
chiral
,
polarimetry
,
polarimeter
,
specific rotation
,
[α]
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