What is the typical characteristic of reactions with the highest atom economy?

Reactions with the highest atom economy typically produce only one product. This is because atom economy is a measure of how efficiently the reactants are converted into useful products. When a reaction yields a single product, all atoms from the reactants contribute to the final desired outcome, resulting in minimal waste. A higher atom economy indicates that more of the starting materials are being utilized effectively, which is beneficial for both economic and environmental reasons.

In contrast, reactions that yield multiple products can result in a significant portion of reactants being converted into unwanted byproducts, thus lowering the atom economy. Reactions that do not completely react or that necessitate external energy inputs do not inherently contribute to higher atom economies, as they may not efficiently use all available reactants.