Abstract
The study of “Stereodynamics” aims at clarifying the role of molecular orientation upon reactivity at the atomic and molecular levels by experiment and theory. Rate of chemical reaction k(T) on the other hand is the most important quantity in macroscopic chemical world, and Arrhenius equation eventually explains its temperature dependence, where the steric factor appears in the pre-exponential factor A, regarded as an independent parameter from Boltzmann energy distribution. Therefore, “Stereodynamics” stands on a quite different viewpoint from energy-based, but rather from angular and linear momentum-based arguments for understanding chemical reactions. Secondly, even in complex systems such as gas-surface heterogeneous and enzyme catalyzed reactions, we see often that the effect of molecular orientation gains decisive power and control the overall complex reaction. This clearly manifests the very importance of molecular orientation or “Stereodynamics” in any collision event and chemical reaction.
