Reakciótermináció

Reakciótermináció refers to the process by which a chemical reaction stops or is brought to an end. This can occur in several ways, depending on the nature of the reaction. In chain reactions, termination is a critical step where the active species, such as free radicals, are destroyed, thus preventing further propagation of the chain. This can happen through recombination, where two active species combine to form a stable molecule, or disproportionation, where one active species transfers an atom to another, resulting in two stable molecules.

In polymerization, termination is the event that stops the growth of polymer chains. This can be a result of similar mechanisms as in chain reactions, such as radical recombination or disproportionation. Chain transfer reactions can also lead to termination by deactivating the growing chain and initiating a new one, effectively ending the growth of the original chain.

For reactions that do not involve chains, termination simply means that the reactants have been consumed or that equilibrium has been reached. In many reversible reactions, the forward and reverse reaction rates become equal at equilibrium, leading to a net cessation of product formation, even though both reactions continue to occur. Other factors that can lead to termination include the removal of a catalyst, a change in temperature or pressure that makes the reaction unfavorable, or the addition of an inhibitor specifically designed to stop the reaction. Understanding the termination mechanism is crucial for controlling reaction rates, product yield, and the properties of the final products.