Reactant fluxes in the steady state: The rate-determining step

Reactant Fluxes in the Steady State The Rate-Determining Step Edward L. King

University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309 The concept of rate-determining step (RDS) in a two-step reaction mechanism will be explored with model calculations of reactant fluxes at each step. We will consider the reversible isomerization

occurring via a two-step mecanism with a single intermediate X

The steady-state concentration of X is

The steady-state approximation is applicable if I dKY&I > k2 or k g > ks, eq 4 becomes

Equation 10 identifies step 2 as the RDS, with step 1a t equilibrium. When kz