Chemical reactivity in organized media: statistical entropy and information in crystals and enzymes

The control of chemical reactivity has been a subject of intense research activity for many years. It is known that supramolecular systems are capable of influencing the outcome of chemical reactions to levels not easily achieved by homogeneous liquids. Their influence is not always expressed through specific interactions that stabilize a transition state. Their role can be frequently ascribed to the structural preorganization of the reactant towards particular chemical reactions. Because of this, systems as diverse as micelles, zeolites, enzymes and crystals are frequently referred tc as organized media. Recent work on reactions in crystalline solids and enzymes suggests that reactions in organized media may be analyzed with an intuitive model based on simple statistical entropy principles.