Relating to a short-lived reaction
intermediate. It can be defined only in relation to a time scale fixed by the experimental conditions
and the limitations of the technique employed in the detection of the intermediate.
The term is a relative one. Transient species are sometimes also said to be '
metastable'. However, this latter term should be avoided, because it relates a thermodynamic
term to a kinetic property, although most transients are also thermodynamically
unstable with respect to reactants and products.
Source:
PAC, 1994, 66, 1077
(Glossary of terms used in physical organic chemistry (IUPAC Recommendations 1994))
on page 1174
Cite as:
IUPAC. Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 2nd ed. (the "Gold Book"). Compiled by
A. D. McNaught and A. Wilkinson. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford (1997).
XML on-line corrected version: http://goldbook.iupac.org (2006-) created by M. Nic,
J. Jirat, B. Kosata; updates compiled by A. Jenkins. ISBN 0-9678550-9-8.
https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.
