Term: topomerization https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.T06396 Definition: The identity reaction leading to exchange of the positions of identical ligands. The indistinguishable molecular entities involved are called topomers. For example in the reaction below the two identical ligating atoms Na and Nb are interchanged by rotation about the C-aryl bond but may be identified by NMR spectroscopy. This is a degenerate isomerization. T06396.png Related Terms: 1) identity reaction (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.I02940). 2) ligands (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.L03518). 3) spectroscopy (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.S05848). 4) isomerization (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.I03295). Image: Not defined (https://goldbook.iupac.org/img/inline/T06396.png) Source: PAC, 1996, 68, 2193. 'Basic terminology of stereochemistry (IUPAC Recommendations 1996)' on page 2220 (https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199668122193) Citation: 'topomerization' in IUPAC Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 5th ed. International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry; 2025. Online version 5.0.0, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.T06396 License: The IUPAC Gold Book is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike CC BY-SA 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) for individual terms. 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.