Enhancement of Diffusion-Controlled Reaction Rates by Surface-Induced Orientational Restriction

We explore the means by which immobilization of a substrate on a surface can increase the rate of a diffusion-controlled enzymatic reaction. A quasichemical approach is developed and compared with Brownian dynamics simulations. We use these methods to show that restricting only the orientation of the enzyme by long-range interactions with the surface is sufficient for enhancing catalysis.