Catalyst is a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without being consumed or permanently altered in the process. It works by lowering the activation energy required for the reaction to occur, thereby enabling faster or more efficient transformations.
Key characteristics of catalysts:
May be homogeneous (in the same phase as reactants) or heterogeneous (in a different phase)
Common applications:
Environmental remediation (e.g., breaking down pollutants)
Examples of catalysts include metals like platinum, enzymes in biological systems, and acids or bases in organic reactions.
