In physical organic chemistry, a free-energy relationship or linear Gibbs energy relation relates the logarithm of a reaction rate constant or equilibrium constant for one series of reactions with the logarithm of the rate or equilibrium constant for a related series of reactions. Establishing free-energy relationships helps in the understanding of the reaction mechanism for a chemical reaction and allows the prediction of reaction rates and equilibrium constants.
The Brønsted catalysis equation describes the relationship between the ionization constant of a series of catalysts and the reaction rate constant for a reaction on which the catalyst operates. The Hammett equation predicts the equilibrium constant or reaction rate of a reaction from a substituent constant and a reaction type constant. The Edwards equation relates the nucleophilic power to polarisability and basicity.
It has been suggested that this name should be replaced by linear Gibbs energy relation, but at present there is little sign of acceptance of this change. The area of physical organic chemistry which deals with such relations is commonly referred to as 'Linear Free-Energy Relationships'.
For example, a typical LFER relation for predicting solubility can be defined as follows:
log SP = eE + sS +aA + bB + lL +c
where SP is some free energy related property, such as an adsorption or absorption constant. The lower case letters (e, s, a, b, l) are system constants describing the contribution of the aerosol phase to the sorption process. The capital letters are solute descriptors representing the complementary properties of the compounds. Specifically, L is the gas-liquid partition constant on hexadecane at 298 K; E the excess molar refraction; S the ability of a solute to stabilize a neighboring dipole by virtue of its capacity for orientation and induction interactions; A the solute’s effective hydrogen bond acidity; and B the solute’s effective hydrogen-bond basicity. The complementary system constants are identified as the contribution from cavity formation and dispersion interactions, l, the contribution from interactions with solute n- or Pi electrons, e, the contribution from dipole-type interactions, s, the contribution from hydrogen-bond basicity (because a basic sorbent will interact with an acidic solute), a, and b the contribution from hydrogen-bond acidity to the transfer of the solute from air to the aerosol phase.