Reaktsioonitee

Reaktsioonitee is a concept in chemistry that describes the sequence of elementary steps by which reactants are converted into products. It represents the path a reacting system follows on the potential energy surface from initial state to final state. Along a reaktsioonitee, the system may pass through reactive intermediates and through transition states, which are high-energy configurations corresponding to peak points on the energy profile.

It can be linear, single-step, as in some bimolecular substitutions, or multi-step with several intermediates. A reaction may have multiple possible reaktsiooniteed, i.e., competing pathways, leading to different products. The rate and outcome are influenced by kinetic control (which pathway forms fastest) and thermodynamic control (which final product is most stable).

Characterization of reaktsioonitee combines experimental and theoretical approaches. Experimentally, rate data, isotopic labeling, and detection of intermediates help infer the pathway. Computationally, quantum chemical calculations locate reactants, products, and transition states, and map the potential energy surface or intrinsic reaction coordinate to reveal feasible pathways and energy barriers. Knowledge of a reaktsioonitee supports catalyst design, optimization of reaction conditions, and understanding of selectivity and side reactions.