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Questions tagged [transition-state-theory]

Questions related to explanations of the reaction rates of elementary chemical reactions. The theory assumes a special type of chemical equilibrium (quasi-equilibrium) between reactants and activated transition state complexes.

4 votes
1 answer
595 views

What is the reasoning behind the assumptions of Transition State Theory?

We were told in a first year introductory Thermodynamics and Kinetics lecture, and also from Wikipedia, that there are 3 main assumptions for the derivations used in Transition State Theory, but I'm ...
James Liu's user avatar
4 votes
2 answers
711 views

Aromaticity-Bromonium Ion

Is the bridged ion intermediate aromatic or not? What is the way to quickly identify aromaticity?
user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
140 views

How is the energy of reactants in a chemical reaction found ?

A pretty rudimentary question, but I'm reviewing the concept of energy diagrams and activation energy and I'm curious to know how chemists find the energy of reactants and of a transition state in a ...
Siddart Fredrick's user avatar
4 votes
2 answers
346 views

Can the number of intermediates for a reaction be more than the total number of transition states?

I'm getting results from a transition state guess software, in which the number of intermediates are two and there's only one transition state for a reaction, is that possible?
user39222's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
224 views

NMR and dienes to isolate certain isotopes?

I am looking to achieve isotope separation using transition states. In the rxn of dienes with halogens, based on the temperature, the dienes can create a thermodynamic product or a kinetic product. ...
Young Jun Lee's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
567 views

Can rate constant depend upon the concentration of reactants (or other species involved in the reaction)?

Transition state theory tells us that the rate constant of an elementary step is $$k_\mathrm{r} = \frac{\kappa k_\mathrm{B}T}{h}\exp\left\{\frac{- \Delta G^\ddagger}{RT}\right\},$$ where $\Delta G^\...
S R Maiti's user avatar
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3 votes
0 answers
50 views

Can AMBER as low-layer be used to model reaction mechanisms using ONIOM? If yes, do you need to parameterize the intermediates and Transition states?

I'm debating moving from (M06-2X:PM7:UFF) to (M06-2X:PM7:AMBER) for modelling a reaction mechanism in an enzyme. I've already examined the errors introduced by my partitioning and whether they cancel ...
Runa's user avatar
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3 votes
0 answers
62 views

Is standard change in activation Gibbs free energy indepedent of pressure?

For a chemical reaction the activation volume is defined as: $$Δ^{\ddagger}V={V^\ddagger}-V$$ where both $V^\ddagger$ and $V$ refer to standard states (I have omitted the symbol for simplicity). One ...
Anton's user avatar
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3 votes
0 answers
660 views

Calculating pre-exponential factor using transition state theory

I would like to calculate the pre-exponential factor of a surface reaction using transition state theory. I've seen two ways to calculate it but I get different answers for each method (and I don't ...
Jonathan Lym's user avatar
2 votes
3 answers
828 views

Why does transition state loses its ability to vibrate? (Transition State Theory)

In transition state theory, (according to my textbook) it is assumed that the the transition state loses its structure, and the ability to vibrate and rotate. If the transition state cannot vibrate, ...
HoneyChem's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
2k views

Kinetic vs thermodynamic control of HBr to 1,3-Butadiene

The author claims that the transition state leading to the formation of the 1,2 product from the allylic carbocation is lower in energy since the carbon (which is attached to Br in the 1,2 product) is ...
xasthor's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
216 views

Where does the RT term come from in the derivation for the activation enthalpy from the Eyring equation?

It is easy to show an Arrhenius-like equation from the Eyring equation, but if you do this, you get that the activation energy is about equal to the activation enthalpy. However, the real ...
sweetandtangy's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
281 views

Is Gibbs Free Energy of formation equal to Gibbs Free Energy of transition state?

Is activation energy equivalent to Gibbs Free Energy of transition state as related by Eyring equation? $$E_a=\Delta ^\ddagger G \, \, ?$$ Is Gibbs Free Energy of transition state defined by the ...
Big Bean's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
144 views

In Statistical Transition State Theory, why is the concentration of the transition state for the forward and reverse reaction identical?

For example on Wikipedia, and also in my lecture notes, it is assumed that for a reaction $$\ce{A + B<=> AB^{\ddagger} <=> P}$$ at equilibrium, $$[\ce{AB^{\ddagger}_f}] = [\ce{AB^{\...
snsunx's user avatar
  • 133
2 votes
1 answer
474 views

If Gibbs energy of activation is positive, how is the change to the transition state possible?

The Gibbs energy increases from the reactants to the transition state, but according to the Second Law of Thermodynamics, entropy of the universe can only increase. Why is the transition state ...
Charles's user avatar
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