heteroatom

[ het-uh-roh-at-uhm ]

noun

, Chemistry.

1. an atom other than carbon in the ring structure of a heterocyclic compound.

Word History and Origins

Origin of heteroatom¹

First recorded in 1895–1900; hetero- + atom

Example Sentences

Copper-catalyzed insertion into heteroatom–hydrogen bonds with trifluorodiazoalkanes.

From Nature

A recent experimental study by Aliev and Motherwell demonstrated that heteroatom substitution might also serve as a means to tune the strength of lp–π interactions in a rationally designed system95.

From Nature