Consider the transition state for a chemical reaction. (a) What is it (define it). (b) Can there be only imminent bond breaking in a transition state? Explain.

Short Answer

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(a) A transition state in a chemical reaction is the highest energy, unstable state or configuration of reactants during their conversion into products, characterized by partial bonds as both reactants and products. (b) Transition states can involve both bond breaking and bond formation or solely bond-breaking events, depending on the reaction mechanism. It is not a requirement that transition states involve only imminent bond breaking. For example, in an SN2 reaction, both the breaking of a bond and the formation of a new bond occur in the transition state, while in a simple unimolecular dissociation reaction, only bond breaking occurs in the transition state.

Step by step solution

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(a) Definition of Transition State

A transition state in a chemical reaction is defined as the highest energy, unstable state or configuration of reactants during the conversion into products. It occurs at the point where the reactants' energy reaches its peak, and the bonds between the atoms are in the process of breaking or forming. The transition state acts as an intermediate stage between the reactants and the product, having partial bonds as both reactants and products. The concept of the transition state is vital in understanding the kinetics and mechanism of a reaction.
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(b) Imminent Bond Breaking in a Transition State

In a transition state, bonds can be in the process of both breaking and forming. While there may be certain situations where a transition state involves only imminent bond breaking, it is not a general rule for all chemical reactions. For example, in an SN2 reaction (a nucleophilic substitution reaction), both the breaking of a bond and the formation of a new bond occur in the transition state. The nucleophile approaches the electrophile, and the bond between the electrophile and the leaving group begins to break and simultaneously form a new bond. This demonstrates that there can be both bond breaking and bond formation in a transition state. In contrast, consider a simple unimolecular dissociation reaction, where a molecule A-B splits into fragments A and B. In this case, the transition state will involve only the breaking of the A-B bond without the immediate formation of new bonds between other atoms. This represents a scenario where only bond breaking occurs in the transition state. Hence, it is not a requirement that transition states involve only imminent bond breaking. Depending on the reaction mechanism, transition states can involve both bond breaking and bond formation or solely bond-breaking events.

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