Template-free Pre-orientation Processes

In principle, a template-assisted reaction may also occur without the template. In absence of a template, various alternative non-reactive configurations B of the reactants Ai, A2, Aj. are possible, 

we used the set braces in order to denote that many reactions may lead to innumerable different configurations i, i.e. to many different local minima on the potential energy surface. 

An optimum template would guarantee that the reactants are spatially arranged in the relative configuration Bx, which is most appropriate for the sought-for reaction to take place. Note that there may exist in principle more than one such configuration Bx, which may act as a useful starting configuration for the reaction. For 

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