Activated complex

In chemistry, an activated complex represents a collection of intermediate structures in a chemical reaction when bonds are breaking and forming. The activated complex is an arrangement of atoms in an arbitrary region near the saddle point of a potential energy surface. The region represents not one defined state, but a range of unstable configurations that a collection of atoms pass through between the reactants and products of a reaction. Activated complexes have partial reactant and product character, which can significantly impact their behaviour in chemical reactions.

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