18.12: Reaction Intermediate
- Page ID
- 53898
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Ozone \(\left( \ce{O_3} \right)\) depletion in the atmosphere is of significant concern. This gas serves as a protection against the ultraviolet rays of the sun. Ozone is naturally depleted in addition to the depletion caused by human-made chemicals. The depletion reaction is a two-step process:
\[\ce{O_3} + \text{ultraviolet light} \rightarrow \ce{O_2} + \ce{O} \cdot \: \text{(free radical) slow reaction}\nonumber \]
\[\ce{O} \cdot + \ce{O_3} \rightarrow 2 \ce{O_2} \: \text{fast reaction}\nonumber \]
The free radical is not a part of the overall equation, but can be detected in the lab.
Intermediate
Reaction mechanisms describe how the material in a chemical reaction gets from the initial reactants to the final products. One reaction that illustrates a reaction mechanism is the reaction between nitrogen monoxide and oxygen to form nitrogen dioxide:
\[2 \ce{NO} \left( g \right) + \ce{O_2} \left( g \right) \rightarrow 2 \ce{NO_2} \left( g \right)\nonumber \]
It may seem as though this reaction would occur as the result of a collision between two \(\ce{NO}\) molecules with one \(\ce{O_2}\) molecule. However, careful analysis of the reaction has detected the presence of \(\ce{N_2O_2}\) during the reaction. A proposed mechanism for the reaction consists of two elementary steps:
Step 1: \(2 \ce{NO} \left( g \right) \rightarrow \ce{N_2O_2} \left( g \right)\)
Step 2: \(\ce{N_2O_2} \left( g \right) + \ce{O_2} \left( g \right) \rightarrow 2 \ce{NO_2} \left( g \right)\)
In the first step, two molecules of \(\ce{NO}\) collide to form a molecule of \(\ce{N_2O_2}\). In the second step, that molecule of \(\ce{N_2O_2}\) collides with a molecule of \(\ce{O_2}\) to produce two molecules of \(\ce{NO_2}\). The overall chemical reaction is the sum of the two elementary steps:
\[\begin{align*} 2 \ce{NO} \left( g \right) &\rightarrow \cancel{\ce{N_2O_2} \left( g \right)} \\ \cancel{\ce{N_2O_2} \left( g \right)} + \ce{O_2} \left( g \right) &\rightarrow 2 \ce{NO_2} \left( g \right) \\ \hline 2 \ce{NO} \left( g \right) + \ce{O_2} \left( g \right) &\rightarrow 2 \ce{NO_2} \left( g \right) \end{align*}\nonumber \]
The \(\ce{N_2O_2}\) molecule is not part of the overall reaction. It was produced in the first elementary step, then reacts in the second elementary step. An intermediate is a species which appears in the mechanism of a reaction, but not in the overall balanced equation. An intermediate is always formed in an early step in the mechanism and consumed in a later step.
Summary
- Reaction mechanisms describe how the material in a chemical reaction gets from the initial reactants to the final products.
- An intermediate is a species which appears in the mechanism of a reaction, but not in the overall balanced equation.