2011/04/27 by Sebastian Kozuch, Jan M. L. Martin · 1 voice
Chemistry · Physics and Astronomy · #History and advancements in chemistry #Origins and Evolution of Life #Various Chemistry Research Topics
paper · doi:10.1002/cphc.201100137
openalex publication_date 2011/04/27 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
The concept of a rate-determining step (RD-Step) is central to the kinetics community, and it is basic knowledge even for the undergraduate chemical student. In spite of this, too many different definitions of the RD-Step appear in the literature, all of them with drawbacks. This dilemma has been thoroughly studied by several authors in the attempt to "patch" the drawbacks and bring the RD-Step to a correct physical meaning. Herein we review with simple models the most notable definitions and some challengers of the RD-Step concept, to conclude with the deduction that there are no rate-determining steps, only rate-determining states.