Activated structure [ENDORSED]

[Lauryn Shinno 2H]

I know Dr. Lavelle went over these briefly in class, but what are they, and do we need to know how to draw them?

[Kyle Golden Dis 2G]

Dr. Lavelle said we don't need to know how to draw structures for 14B.

[Matthew Mar 1J]

The activated structure is also known as the transition state and it's the energy peak on a reaction graph. Once the sufficient activation energy is input into the reactants, they enter the transition state and the reaction can progress to the products. This is important when thinking about catalysts because catalysts make it easier for the reactants to reach the activated structure because they lower the required activation energy. They can do this by being involved in the reaction mechanism, by orienting the reactants correctly, etc...