racemic

[ rey-see-mik, -sem-ik, ruh- ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adjective

, Chemistry.

noting or pertaining to any of various organic compounds in which racemism occurs.

racemic

/ rəˈsiːmɪzəm; rəˈsiːmɪk; -ˈsɛm-; ˈræsɪˌmɪzəm /

chem of, concerned with, or being a mixture of equal amounts of enantiomers and consequently having no optical activity

racemic

/ rə-sē′mĭk /

Relating to a chemical compound that contains equal quantities of the dextrorotatory and levorotatory forms of the compound and therefore does not rotate the plane of incident polarized light.
Relating to or consisting of racemes.

Origin of racemic¹

1830–40; < French racémique < Latin racēm ( us ) raceme + French -ique -ic

Origin of racemic¹

C19: from raceme (as in racemic acid ) + -ic

He discovered that racemic acid crystals could be sorted into two asymmetric mirror-image shapes, like pairs of right-handed and left-handed gloves.

Racemic acid is rather less soluble than tartaric, and separates first from a solution containing the two acids.

A solution of racemic acid precipitates a neutral salt of calcium, which is not the case with tartaric acid.

Examination of liquors from which racemic acid has been deposited has always shown them to contain much inactive tartaric acid.

This theory does not exclude the probability that certain vines under particular conditions produce racemic acid.

In the one case, therefore, the racemic compound has a higher, in the other a lower melting point than the active forms.

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