Introduction

This chapter analyzes the reaction of organic chemistry which proceeds by way of reactive intermediates according to a schematic equation. It discusses how the intermediate represent an isolable compound or a species in rapid equilibrium with reactants. It also explains how reactive intermediates correspond to a relatively shallow dip in a free energy versus reaction co-ordinate diagram and how they proceed to products faster than returning to starting material. The chapter explains the significance of the reactive intermediate when the depth of the free energy well containing it is sufficient to prevent every molecular vibration along the reaction co-ordinate proceeding back to reactants or forward to products. It describes reactive intermediates of organic chemistry as charged species, such as carbocations or carbanions.