Regioselectivity refers to the preference of a chemical reaction to occur at one specific position or orientation over other possible positions on a substrate. In the context of catalysis, this means that a catalyst facilitates the formation of a product by favoring one of the possible locations where the reaction can take place. For example, in the hydroformylation of alkenes, a catalyst can direct the addition of a formyl group to either the terminal or internal carbon atom, resulting in different aldehyde products.
