Dimer

Term for a molecule consisting of two subunits, the monomers.

In terms of size, molecular mass and complexity, the dimer is the simplest polymer. The process of dimer formation is called dimerization (dimerization).

Dimers are divided into

• homodimers (both monomers are identical)
• and
• heterodimers (both monomers are usually similar but different).

The subunits in dimers can be connected in different ways. Frequent is the covalent, i.e. linked via atomic bonds and non-covalent dimer linkage. In this case, van der Waals, dipole, electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions as well as hydrogen bonds play a decisive role for the cohesion.