Side reaction
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Not to be confused with Side effect (disambiguation).
A side reaction is a chemical reaction that occurs at the same time as the actual main reaction, but to a lesser extent. It leads to the formation of by-product, so that the yield of main product is reduced:[1]
P1 is the main product if k1> k2. The by-product P2 is generally undesirable and must be separated from the actual main product (usually in a costly process).