Fractal Analysis in Heterogeneous Chemistry

Chemical reactions are traditionally treated in terms of three major parameters: the nature of the chemical bond which is formed between the reacting molecules; the stereochemical requirements or restrictions which govern this molecular association; and the energetic profile of the reaction. Heterogeneous chemistry introduces a fourth parameter: the structure and geometry of the environment in which the reaction takes place. The geometry parameter is as important as the three other parameters to the extent that it alone can dictate whether a reaction will take place at all.