Illustrated Glossary of Organic Chemistry

Dextrorotatory (d; (+)): A substance that rotates plane polarized light in a clockwise direction. Indicated by including (+) before the compound name, or in the older literature, d, such as (+)-nicotine or (d)-nicotine.



Pass through (R)-(+)-nicotine solution


Plane of polarization before
(R)-(+)-nicotine solution.

Plane of polarization after
(R)-(+)-nicotine solution.
Passing plane-polarized light through a solution of (R)-(+)-nicotine causes the plane of polarization to be rotated to the right (a clockwise direction; as indicated by the red arrow), demonstrating that this molecule is optically active and dextrorotatory.