5.2.3

The Effect of a Catalyst

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Catalysis

A catalyst is a substance that can increase the reaction rate without being consumed in the reaction.

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Catalysts

  • Catalysts increase the rate of reactions without being used up in the reaction themselves.
    • Catalysts can work by binding to reactants or covalently bonding to reactants.
  • Catalysts do this by increasing the number of successful collisions between reactants and/or providing an alternate route for the reaction to follow.
    • The alternate route will have a lower activation energy than the original route.
  • This can be demonstrated on energy profiles and Maxwell-Boltzmann distributions.
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Enthalpy profile explained

  • Here you can see both reaction pathways.
    • The catalytic pathway has a lower hump.
    • The hump represents the activation energy.
  • So the catalytic pathway has a lower activation energy.
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Regeneration

  • A lot of catalysts work by changing oxidation state.
    • In one step of the reaction, a catalyst may be reduced, only to be oxidized and regenerated in a subsequent step.
  • The net concentration of a catalyst remains constant throught the reaction.
  • Catalysts are typically consumed during on the rate-determining (slowest) step of a reaction mechanism and regenerated thereafter.
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Maxwell-Boltzmann graph explained

  • Here you can see the different activation energies for each pathway.
    • Some molecules can use the old pathway.
    • Some molecules can use the new pathway but not the old pathway.
    • Some molecules can't use any.
  • Overall, the catalytic pathway can be used by more molecules.
    • More molecules have enough energy to react via the catalyzed pathway.

Jump to other topics

1Structure - Models of the Particulate of Matter

2Structure - Models of Bonding & Structure

3Structure - Classification of Matter

3.1The Periodic Table: Classification of Elements

3.2Periodic Trends

3.3Group 1 Alkali Metals

3.4Halogens

3.5Noble gases, group 18

3.6Functional Groups: Classification of Organic

3.7Functional Group Chemistry

3.8Alkanes

3.9Alcohols

3.10Halogenoalkanes

4Reactivity - What Drives Chemical Reaction?

5Reactivity - How Much, How Fast & How Far?

6Reactivity - The Mechanisms of Chemical Change

7Measurement, Data Processing & Analysis

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