Book Description

Principles of Chemical Kinetics is devoted to the principles and applications of chemical kinetics. The phenomenology and commonly used theories of chemical kinetics are presented in a critical manner, with particular emphasis on collision dynamics. How and what mechanistic information can be obtained from various experimental approaches is stressed throughout this book. Comprised of nine chapters, this text opens with an overview of reaction rates and their empirical analysis, along with theories of chemical kinetics. The following chapters consider reactions and unimolecular decompositions in the gas phase; chemical reactions in molecular beams; and energy transfer and partitioning in chemical reactions. Kinetics in liquid solutions and fast reactions in liquids are also described. The final chapter looks at the kinetics of enzymes, with particular reference to steady state and transient state kinetics, the pH and temperature dependence of kinetic parameters, and the mechanism underlying enzymatic action. This monograph is intended for students with a general college background in chemistry, physics, and mathematics, and with a typical undergraduate course in physical chemistry.