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Transition States

In any chemical reaction, there is an energetic barrier that the reactant must cross as bonds are broken and re-made to become the product. The reaction will follow the lowest energy path between reactants and products, just like a hiker will take the lowest route when crossing a pass between two mountains.

The transition state (TS) is the highest energy point on the lowest energy path between the reactants and the products of a chemical reaction. It occurs at the top of the energetic barrier. Enzymes work by lowering the energetic barrier to reactions - they bind to and stabilize the TS.

The symbol for the TS is a double dagger (): a TS is about as stable as two daggers balanced point-to-point. A TS exists for less than a single bond vibration (ca. 10^-13 s).