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Related Concept Videos

Electric Field01:16

Electric Field

12.9K
Consider two point charges, each exerting Coulomb force on the other. It is possible to describe the Coulomb interaction via an intermediate step by defining a new physical quantity called the electric field.
In the new picture, imagine that the first charge sets up an electric field independent of all other charges in the universe. When another charge comes in its vicinity, the second charge experiences an electric force depending on the electric field at that point. The source charge does not...
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Determining Electric Field From Electric Potential01:12

Determining Electric Field From Electric Potential

5.0K
The electric field and electric potential are related to each other. If the electric field at various points in the region of interest is known, it can be used to calculate the electric potential difference between any two points. Similarly, if the electric potential is known for various points, then it is possible to calculate the electric field.
In general, regardless of whether the electric field is uniform, it points in the direction of decreasing potential because the force on a positive...
5.0K
Finding Electric Potential From Electric Field01:13

Finding Electric Potential From Electric Field

5.6K
For a system of charges, it is easy to calculate the system's potential because potential is a scalar quantity. However, in some instances where calculating the electric field is more straightforward than finding the potential, the electric field is used to calculate the system's potential. For a positive charge, the electric field is radially outward, and the potential is positive at any finite distance from the positive charge. In such an electric field, the motion away from the...
5.6K
Electric Field Inside a Conductor01:20

Electric Field Inside a Conductor

7.5K
When a conductor is placed in an external electric field, the free charges in the conductor redistribute and very quickly reach electrostatic equilibrium. The resulting charge distribution and its electric field have many interesting properties, which can be investigated with the help of Gauss's law.
Suppose a piece of metal is placed near a positive charge. The free electrons in the metal are attracted to the external positive charge and migrate freely toward that region. This region then...
7.5K
Electric Field Lines01:25

Electric Field Lines

9.7K
The three-dimensional representation of the electric field of a positive point charge requires tracing the electric field vectors, whose lengths decrease as the square of their distance from the charge and which point away from the charge at each point. This vector field is no doubt challenging to visualize. The visualization of electric fields becomes quickly intractable as the number of charges increases.
The solution to this problem is to use electric field lines, which are not vectors but...
9.7K
Induced Electric Fields01:23

Induced Electric Fields

4.6K
The fact that emfs are induced in circuits implies that work is being done on the conduction electrons in the wires. What can possibly be the source of this work? We know that it’s neither a battery nor a magnetic field, as a battery does not have to be present in a circuit where current is induced, and magnetic fields never do any work on moving charges. The source of the work is in fact an electric field that is induced in the wires. For example, if a stationary conductor is placed in a...
4.6K

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External Excitation of Neurons Using Electric and Magnetic Fields in One- and Two-dimensional Cultures
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External Excitation of Neurons Using Electric and Magnetic Fields in One- and Two-dimensional Cultures

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Structure and reactivity/selectivity control by oriented-external electric fields.

Sason Shaik1, Rajeev Ramanan, David Danovich

  • 1Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 91904, Jerusalem, Israel. sason@yfaat.ch.huji.ac.il.

Chemical Society Reviews
|July 7, 2018
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

External electric fields (EEFs) can control chemical reactions by stabilizing ionic structures. This tutorial explains how to use EEFs to influence bond breaking, reaction catalysis, and selectivity.

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Area of Science:

  • Physical Chemistry
  • Computational Chemistry
  • Organic Chemistry

Background:

  • External electric fields (EEFs) offer a novel approach to modulating chemical transformations.
  • Understanding the fundamental principles governing EEF-molecule interactions is crucial for designing chemical processes.
  • Existing methods for controlling reactivity and selectivity often rely on traditional reagents or catalysts.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide a tutorial on conceptualizing and designing the effects of EEFs on chemical bonds, structures, and reactions.
  • To explain the ionic perspective of EEF effects, unifying diverse phenomena.
  • To demonstrate the application of EEFs in controlling reactivity, selectivity, and reaction mechanisms.

Main Methods:

  • Conceptualization of EEF effects based on the stabilization of ionic intermediates.
  • Analysis of bond breaking, catalysis, inhibition, and stereoselectivity through field orientation.
  • Investigation of mechanistic switchover in concerted reactions under varying field strengths.
  • Presentation and analysis of examples from an ionic perspective.

Main Results:

  • EEF effects can be understood by orienting the field along bond or reaction axes to influence bond breaking and catalysis.
  • Field orientation controls stereoselectivity and prevents orbital mixing.
  • Two-directional fields can independently tune reactivity and selectivity.
  • Increasing field strength can induce mechanistic switchover from concerted to stepwise pathways.

Conclusions:

  • EEFs provide a versatile tool for controlling chemical reactions with high precision.
  • The ionic perspective offers a unified framework for understanding a wide range of EEF-induced chemical changes.
  • This tutorial equips readers with the knowledge to design and implement EEF-based chemical strategies.