Catalysts

Catalysts Are Substances That Accelerate Chemical Reactions Without Itself Being Consumed Or Permanently Altered By The Reaction. There Are Two Main Types Of Catalysts - Homogenous Catalysts Which Are Found In The Same Phase Of Matter As The Reactants, And Heterogenous Catalysts, Which Exist In A Different Phase Than The Reactants. Catalysts Are Typically Used In Industrial And Laboratory Applications To Make A Chemical Reaction More Efficient Or Faster. Catalysts Work By Lowering The Activation Energy. Activation Energy Is The Amount Of Energy Needed For A Reaction To Occur And Is Related To The Spontaneity Of A Reaction. By Having A Lower Activation Energy, This Allows Chemical Reactions To Occur At A Much Faster Rate. The Catalyst Works By Forming An Intermediary Complex In Between The Molecules Of The Reactants And The Molecules Of The Product. This Decreases The Activation Energy Required To Form The Products Since The Molecules Of The Reactants Don’t Have To Move Too Far. Furthermore, Catalysts Can Increase The Yield Of The Desired Product. Without The Use Of A Catalyst, It Is Highly Possible Inefficient And Undesired Products Can Be Formed. By Having A Catalyst That Is More Specific To A Certain Product, Or A Certain Reaction, The Catalyst Ensures More Of The Desired Product Is Produced And That Undesirable Side Reactions Are Minimized. In Addition, Catalysts Can Be Reversible Or Irreversible. Reversible Catalysts Can Be Used In Equilibrium Reactions, And Can Be Modified To Shift The Equilibrium Either To The Right Or To The Left. Isozyme Catalysts Are Examples Of Reversible Catalysts, And They Are Used In A Wide Range Of Applications, Such As In Metabolic Pathways Or Signal Transduction Pathways. Irreversible Catalysts, On The Other Hand, Are Not Used In Equilibrium Reactions And They Permanently Bind With The Reactants. Irreversible Catalysts Are Useful When Products Must Be Produced Quickly As They Are Very Efficient In Producing The Desired Product. Catalysts Have Been Used For Centuries In A Wide Range Of Applications, From Organic Chemistry To Industrial Manufacturing. By Lowering The Activation Energy, Increasing The Yield Of The Desired Product And Allowing For Both Reversible And Irreversible Reactions, Catalysts Are An Essential Part Of Many Chemical Processes.