Editing Dimerization (section)

{{short description|Chemical process of joining two molecular entities by bonds of any kind}}
{{Redirect|Dimer (chemistry)|other uses|Dimer (disambiguation)}}
{{refimprove|date=April 2009}}

In [[chemistry]], '''dimerization''' is the process of joining two identical or similar [[Molecular entity|molecular entities]] by [[Chemical bond|bonds]].  The resulting bonds can be either strong or weak. Many symmetrical [[chemical species]] are described as '''dimers''', even when the [[monomer]] is unknown or highly unstable.<ref>{{cite web |title=Dimerization |url=https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/D01744}}</ref>

The term ''homodimer'' is used when the two subunits are identical (e.g. A–A) and ''heterodimer'' when they are not (e.g. A–B). The reverse of dimerization is often called [[Dissociation (chemistry)|dissociation]]. When two oppositely-charged [[ion]]s associate into dimers, they are referred to as ''Bjerrum pairs'',<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Adar|first1=Ram M.|last2=Markovich|first2=Tomer|last3=Andelman|first3=David|date=2017-05-17|title=Bjerrum pairs in ionic solutions: A Poisson-Boltzmann approach|journal=The Journal of Chemical Physics|volume=146|issue=19|pages=194904|doi=10.1063/1.4982885|pmid=28527430|issn=0021-9606|arxiv=1702.04853|bibcode=2017JChPh.146s4904A|s2cid=12227786}}</ref> after Danish chemist [[Niels Bjerrum]].