Title: Markush structure
Long Title: IUPAC Gold Book - Markush structure
DOI: 10.1351/goldbook.11472
Status: current

Definition
A structure diagram that describes a set of related molecules with the structure of the common core and the structures of the substituents at each position.

Note
Markush structures are commonly used in patent claims.

Related Term
- structure diagram: https://goldbook.iupac.org//terms/view/11520

Source
- PAC, 2016, 88, 239. 'Glossary of terms used in computational drug design, part II (IUPAC Recommendations 2015)' on page 250 (https://doi.org/10.1515/pac-2012-1204)

Other Outputs
- html: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/11472/html
- json: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/11472/json
- xml: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/11472/xml

Citation: Citation: 'Markush structure' in IUPAC Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 5th ed. International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry; 2025. Online version 5.0.0, 2025. 10.1351/goldbook.11472
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Disclaimer: The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) is continuously reviewing and, where needed, updating terms in the Compendium of Chemical Terminology (the IUPAC Gold Book). Users of these terms are encouraged to include the version of a term with its use and to check regularly for updates to term definitions that you are using.
Accessed: 2026-08-07T01:22:23+00:00