Thermodynamic and kinetic characteristics of chemical reactions in solution

THERMODYNAMIC AND KINETIC CHARACTERISTICS OF CHEMICAL REACTIONS IN SOLUTION... 

Chemical reactivity is influenced by solvation in different ways. As noted before, the solvent modulates the intrinsic characteristics of the reactants, which are related to polarization of its charge distribution. In addition, the interaction between solute and solvent molecules gives rise to a differential stabilization of reactants, products and transition states. The interaction of solvent molecules can affect both the equilibrium and kinetics of a chemical reaction, especially when there are large differences in the polarities of the reactants, transition state, or products. Classical examples that illustrate this solvent effect are the SN2 reaction, in which water molecules induce large changes in the kinetic and thermodynamic characteristics of the reaction, and the nucleophilic attack of an R-CT group on a carbonyl centre, which is very exothermic and occurs without an activation barrier in the gas phase but is clearly endothermic with a notable activation barrier in aqueous solution [76-79]. 

This chapter is based on the thermodynamic theory of membrane potentials and kinetic effects will be considered only in relation to diffusion potentials in the membrane. The ISE membrane in the presence of an interferent can be thought of as analogous to a corroding electrode [46a] at which chemically different charge transfer reactions proceed [15, 16]. Then the characteristics of the ISE potentials can be obtained using polarization curves for electrolysis at the boundary between two immiscible electrolyte solutions [44[Pg.35]

Activation Processes. To be useful in battery applications reactions in list occur at a reasonable rate The rare or ability of battery electrodes to produce current is determined by the kinetic processes of electrode operations, not by thermodynamics, which describes the characteristics of reactions at equilibrium when the forward and reverse reaction rates are equal. Electrochemical reaction kinetics follow the same general considerations as those of bulk chemical reactions. Two differences are a potential drop that exists between the electrode and the solution because of the electrical double layer at the electrode interface, and the reaction that occurs at a two-dimensional interfaces rather than in three-dimensional space. 

---