What are reaction pathways?

Reaction pathways are sequences of chemical reactions that lead from starting materials to final products.

In more detail, a reaction pathway is a series of chemical reactions which shows how a complex reaction can be broken down into simpler steps. Each step in the pathway is a single reaction, and the entire pathway is the sum of these steps. The starting materials, or reactants, are transformed through these steps into the final products.

Understanding reaction pathways is crucial in chemistry because it helps us to understand how complex reactions occur. For example, in organic chemistry, reaction pathways can show how a simple molecule can be transformed into a more complex one through a series of reactions. This is particularly important in the pharmaceutical industry, where reaction pathways are used to synthesise complex drugs from simpler starting materials.

Reaction pathways also help us to understand the energy changes that occur during a reaction. Each step in a reaction pathway has an associated energy change, and by adding up these energy changes, we can calculate the overall energy change for the reaction. This is important in physical chemistry, where understanding energy changes can help us to predict whether a reaction will occur spontaneously.

In addition, reaction pathways can show us the intermediates that are formed during a reaction. These are species that are formed and consumed during the reaction, and are not present in the final products. Intermediates can often give us clues about the mechanism of the reaction, which is the step-by-step sequence of events that leads from reactants to products.

Overall, reaction pathways are a fundamental concept in chemistry, helping us to understand how complex reactions occur, the energy changes involved, and the mechanism of the reaction.