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Updated: Aug 25, 2025

Multiscale Sampling of a Heterogeneous Water/Metal Catalyst Interface using Density Functional Theory and Force-Field Molecular Dynamics
Published on: April 12, 2019
Electric Fields in Catalysis: From Enzymes to Molecular Catalysts
Nadia G Léonard1, Rakia Dhaoui1, Teera Chantarojsiri2
1Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, United States.
Abstract:
Electric fields underlie all reactions and impact reactivity by interacting with the dipoles and net charges of transition states, products, and reactants to modify the free energy landscape. However, they are rarely given deliberate consideration in synthetic design to rationally control reactivity. This Perspective discusses the commonalities of electric field effects across multiple platforms, from enzymes to molecular catalysts, and identifies practical challenges to applying them in synthetic molecular systems to mediate reactivity.
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