▁dist ort s ▁the ▁fourth ▁sugar ▁( in ▁the ▁D ▁or ▁- 1 ▁sub site ) ▁in ▁the ▁hex as ac char ide ▁into ▁a ▁half - ch air ▁con formation . ▁In ▁this ▁str essed ▁state , ▁the ▁g ly cos id ic ▁bond ▁is ▁more ▁easily ▁broken . ▁ ▁An ▁ion ic ▁intermediate ▁containing ▁an ▁ox o - car ben ium ▁is ▁created ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁the ▁g ly cos id ic ▁bond ▁breaking . ▁Thus ▁dist ort ion ▁causing ▁the ▁substr ate ▁mole c ule ▁to ▁adopt ▁a ▁stra ined ▁con formation ▁similar ▁to ▁that ▁of ▁the ▁transition ▁state ▁will ▁lower ▁the ▁energy ▁bar rier ▁of ▁the ▁reaction . ▁ ▁The ▁proposed ▁ox o - car bon ium ▁intermediate ▁was ▁spec ulated ▁to ▁be ▁electro stat ically ▁stabil ized ▁by ▁as part ate ▁and ▁gl ut am ate ▁resid ues ▁in ▁the ▁active ▁site ▁by ▁Ar ie h ▁War sh el ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 8 . ▁The ▁electro static ▁stabil ization ▁argument ▁was ▁based ▁on ▁comparison ▁to ▁bulk ▁water , ▁the ▁re orientation ▁of ▁water ▁di pol es ▁can ▁cancel ▁out ▁the ▁stabil izing ▁energy ▁of ▁charge ▁interaction . ▁In ▁War sh el ' s ▁model , ▁the ▁en zym e ▁acts ▁as ▁a ▁super - sol vent , ▁which ▁fixes ▁the ▁orientation ▁of ▁ion ▁pairs ▁and ▁provides ▁super - sol v ation ▁( very ▁good ▁stabil ization ▁of ▁ion ▁pairs ), ▁and ▁especially ▁lower ▁the ▁energy ▁when ▁to ▁ ions ▁are ▁close ▁to ▁each ▁other .