DYNAMICAL STEREOCHEMISTRY OF BIMOLECULAR REACTIONS

Dynamical stereochemistry is the study of how chemical reactivity depe nds on the angle of approach of reagents to one another: the 'chemical shape' of molecules. This chemical shape has profound effects in a nu mber of branches of chemistry, and current experimental and theoretica l approaches to understanding dynamical stereochemistry are discussed. The experimental strategies employed have become very diverse in rece nt years and novel techniques are described, together with the limitat ions inherent in a number of experimental methods. Simple models for i nterpreting experimental data are discussed as are the results of more rigorous potential-energy surface and scattering calculations. The le vel of detail that can be achieved in understanding reaction dynamics and dynamical stereochemistry is illustrated for the reaction of chlor ine atoms with methane.