In stepwise chemical reactions with numerous elementary steps, an intermediate is a molecular entity that is created from the reactants but consumed in subsequent reactions.
In a multi-step reaction process, intermediates are the reaction product of one stage and the reactant of the following step.
Because they are typically eaten to create the subsequent product of the reaction cascade, they are transient species with short lifespans.
Reactive intermediates are quick-changing, high-energy, highly reactive compounds that have a brief life span.
They are frequently used to describe multi-step reactions and can aid in describing how a chemical reaction occurs.