Title: right-handed helix
Long Title: IUPAC Gold Book - right-handed helix
DOI: 10.1351/goldbook.14213
Status: current

Definition
Helix in which the continuous helical line, approximating the sequence of bonds along the polymer main chain, winds anticlockwise moving towards the observer, i.e., seen from the positive axis direction (see the figures in chain identity period).

Note
In compliance with prevailing stereochemical terminology conventions, the descriptor \(P\) (plus) is recommended rather than \(R\), presently widely used in polymer literature.

Related Term
- left-handed helix: https://goldbook.iupac.org//terms/view/14211

Source
- PAC, 2011, 83, 1831. 'Definitions of terms relating to crystalline polymers (IUPAC Recommendations 2011)' on page 1842 (https://doi.org/10.1351/PAC-REC-10-11-13)

Other Outputs
- html: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/14213/html
- json: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/14213/json
- xml: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/14213/xml

Citation: Citation: 'right-handed helix' 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.14213
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Accessed: 2026-06-07T03:20:31+00:00