Common Intermediate

Definition

A common intermediate is a species produced in one step of a reaction mechanism and consumed in another. It does not appear in the overall balanced equation for the reaction.

Related terms

Reaction Mechanism:

The step-by-step sequence of elementary reactions by which overall chemical change occurs.

Transition State Theory: This theory explains how intermediates form during a chemical reaction and transition into products.

Rate-Determining Step:

The slowest step in a multi-step process that determines the overall rate at which the entire process proceeds.