potential-energy profile

https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.P04779
A curve describing the variation of the potential energy of the system of atoms that make up the reactants and products of a reaction as a function of one geometric coordinate, and corresponding to the 'energetically easiest passage' from reactants to products (i.e. along the line produced by joining the paths of steepest descent from the
transition state
to the reactants and to the products). For an
elementary reaction
the relevant geometric coordinate is the
reaction coordinate
; for a
stepwise reaction
it is the succession of reaction coordinates for the successive individual reaction steps. (The
reaction coordinate
is sometimes approximated by a quasi-chemical index of reaction progress, such as 'degree of atom transfer' or
bond order
of some specified bond.)
See also:
potential-energy (reaction) surface
,
Gibbs energy diagram
Sources:
PAC, 1994, 66, 1077. (Glossary of terms used in physical organic chemistry (IUPAC Recommendations 1994)) on page 1151 [Terms] [Paper]
PAC, 1996, 68, 149. (A glossary of terms used in chemical kinetics, including reaction dynamics (IUPAC Recommendations 1996)) on page 176 [Terms] [Paper]