CATALYST AND CATALYSIS

A CATALYST IS A SUBSTANCE THAT INCREASES THE RATE AT WHICH A

CHEMICAL REACTION APPROACHES EQUILIBRIUM WITHOUT BEING
SUBSTANTIALLY CONSUMED IN THE PROCESS.
ACATALYST EFFECT ONLY THE RATE OF THE REACTION. IT CHANGES
NEITHER THE THERMODYMICS OF THE REACTION NOR ITS EQUILIBRIUM
COMPOSITION.
CATALYSIS IS THEINCREASE OF THE RATE OF A CHEMICAL REACTION,
INDUCED BY A CATALYST.
 CHARACTERISTICS OF CATALYST
1. A CATALYST REMAINS UNCHANGED IN IT MASS AND CHEMICAL
COMPOSITION DURING THE REATION.
2. ONLY A SMALL QUANTITY OF THE CATALYST IS REQUIRED
3. A CATALYST DOES NOT CHANGE THE VALUE OF EQUILIBRIUM CONSTANT. IT
ONLY HASTENS THE ATTAINMENT OF EQUILIBRIUM.
4. CATALYST ARE SPECIFIC IN NATURE. THIS MEANS THAT EVERY REACTION IS
CATALYSED BY A SPECIFIC CATALYST.
5. CATALYST EXHIBIT MAXIMUM ACTIVITY AT A PARTICULAR TEMPERATURE
WHICH IS KNOWN AS OPTIMUM TEMPERATURE.
 TYPES OF CATALYSIS

TWO MAIN TYPES OF CATALYSIS

1. HOMOGENOUS CATALYSTS
2. HETEROGENOUS CATALYSIS

OTHER TYPES OF CATALYST ARE:

1. AUTO CATALYST
2. NEGATIVE CATALYST
3. ACID-BASE CATALYST
4. ENZYME CATALYST
 HOMOGENEOUS CATALYSIS

• IN HOMOGENOUS CATALYSIS, THE CATALYST IS IN THE SAME PHASE AS THE REACTANTS AND
IS EVENLY DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT. THIS TYPE OF CATALYSIS CAN OCCUR IN GASEOUS
PHASE OR LIQUID (SOLUTION) PHASE.
A. EXAMOLE OF HOMOGENEOUS CATALYSIS IN GAS PHASE
2𝑆𝑂2 + 𝑂2 𝑁𝑂 → 2𝑆𝑂3

B. EXAMPLE OF HOMOGENOUS CATALYSIS IN SOLUTION PHASE

2𝐻2 𝑂2(𝑙) → 2𝐻2 + 𝑂2
 HETEROGENOUS CATALYSIS
THE CATALYSIS IN WHICH THE CATALYST IS IN A DIFFERENT PHYSICAL PHASE FROM THE
REACTANTS IS TERMED HETEROGENEOUS CATALYSIS.
EXAMPLE OF HETEROGENEOUS CATALYSIS
A) WITH GASEOUS REACTANTS
2𝑆𝑂2 + 𝑂2 + 𝑃𝑡 = 2𝑆𝑂3 + 𝑃𝑡
B) WITH LIQUID REACTANTS
2𝐻2 𝑂 + 𝑃𝑡 = 𝐻2 𝑂 + 𝑂2 + 𝑃𝑡
C) WITH SOLID REACTANTS
2𝐾𝐶𝑙𝑂3 + 𝑀𝑛𝑂2 = 2𝐾𝐶𝑙 + 3𝑂2 + 𝑀𝑛𝑂2
 AUTOCATALYSIS
WHEN ONE OF THE PRODUCTS OF THE REACTION ITSELF ACTS AS A CATALYST FOR
THAT REACTION, THE PHENOMENON IS CALLED AUTOCATALYSIS.

𝐶𝐻3 𝐶𝑂𝑂𝐻𝐶2 𝐻5 + 𝐻2 𝑂 → 𝐶𝐻3 𝐶𝑂𝑂𝐻 + 𝐶2 𝐻5 𝑂𝐻

NEGATIVE CATALYSIS
WHEN THE CATALYST REDUCES THE RATE OF A REACTION, IT IS CALLED A NEGATIVE
CATALYST OR INHIBITOR. THIS PHENOMENON IS CALLED NEGATIVE CATALYSIS OR INHIBITION.
NEGATIVE CATALYSIS IS USEFUL TO SLOW DOWN OR STOP ALTOGEHTHER AN UNWANTED
REACTION.

2𝐻2 𝑂2[𝐻𝐸𝐴𝑇] → 2𝐻2 𝑂 + 𝑂2

 ACID-BASE CATALYSIS
A CHEMICAL REACTION IS CATALYSED BY AN ACID OR A BASE. THE ACID IS THE PROTON
DONOR AND THE BASE IS THE PROTON ACCEPTOR. TYPICAL REACTIONS CATALYSED BY PROTON
TRANSFER ARE ESTERIFICATION AND ALDOL CONDENSATION REACTION.

ENZYME CATALYSIS

ENZYME CATALYSIS IS THE INCREASE IN THE RATE OF A CHEMICAL REACTION BY THE

ACTIVE SITE OF A PROTIEN. THE PROTIEN CATALYST (ENZYME) MAY BE PART OF A MULTI-SUBUNIT
COMPLEX, AND/OR MAY TRANSIENTLY OR PERMANENTLY ASSOCIATE WITH A CO-FACTOR. (I.E.
ADENOSINE TRIPHOSPHATE)
 CATALYST POISONING

CATALYST POISONING REFERS TO THE PARTIAL OR TOTAL DEACTIVATION OF A

CATALYST CAUSED BY EXPOSURE TO A RANGE OF CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS.
POISONING REFERS SPECIFICALLY TO CHEMICAL DEVIATION, RATHER THAN
DECOMPOSITION OR PHYSICAL DAMGE.
POISONING MAY BE DESIRABLE WHEN IT RESULTS IN IMPROVED SELECTIVITY (E.G.
LINDLER’S CATALYST), BUT IS UNDESIRABLE WHEN THE CATALYST IS RENDERED INEFFECTIVE (E.G.
LEAD IN CATALYTIC CONVERTERS).
 APPLICATION OF CATALYSTS

1. FERMENTATION: TO PRODUCE BEER, WINE AND SOY SAUCE

2. PRODUCTION OF ANTIBIOTICS (E.G. PINICILLIN)
3. MANUFACTURE OF PETROL AND OTHER CHEMICALS FROM OIL IN PETROLEUM INDUSTRIES
4. CARS ARE FITTED IN CATALYTIC CONVERTERS TO CONVERT POLLUTANTS INTO HARMLESS
SUBSTANCES BEFORE IMISSION.
5. THEY ARE USED IN THURSTERS TO CATALYSE REACTIONS TO PRODUCE GASES IN PUSHING
SPACECRAFT IN RIGHT DIRECTION.