@article{wjce20251321,
author={{Rachuru, Sanjeev and Vandanapu, Jagannadham and Geelan, David and Skelton, Adam A and Murali, Malleli and Kuna, Sateesh and Bhargavilakshmi, J.},
title={What Would Be the Molecularity of A Reaction Having Two Rate Determining Steps? A Conceptual Analysis},
journal={World Journal of Chemical Education},
volume={13},
number={2},
pages={30--33},
year={2025},
url={https://pubs.sciepub.com/wjce/13/2/1},
issn={2375-1657},
abstract={One of the conclusions of C Stegelmann¡¯s, <i>JACS </i>article titled "Degree of Rate Control: How Much the Energies of Intermediates and Transition States Control Rates¡± is that the ¡®degree of control of reaction¡¯ is a concept similar to the concept of the ¡®rate determining step¡¯ but more direct to apply and much more widely applicable <i><b>(since there is rarely a single rate determining step)</b></i>. Thus, an important inference from this JACS article is that a reaction having two or more rate determining steps in its multistep mechanism is in the realm of possibility. Can we write the molecularity of such reactions (that is a reaction having two or more rate determining steps)?  The answer to this question and its implication is probed in this conceptual analysis.  An important spin-off, of the answer to this question is that, the age-old classic substitution nucleophilic unimolecular i.e., S<SUB>N</SUB><SUP>1</SUP> reaction between tertiary butyl bromide and water being termed as ¡®unimolecular¡¯ in many textbooks and the entry in the Wikipedia is incorrect. The authors are of the opinion that this article should be discussed when S<SUB>N</SUB><SUP>1</SUP> reaction is taught at undergraduate level.},
doi={10.12691/wjce-13-2-1}
publisher={Science and Education Publishing}
}