Catalysts and Enthalpy profiles Flashcards
What are catalysts/do catalysts do?
They speed up the rate of a chemical reaction and are not used up in the reaction. They may be specific for a particular reaction - applies especially to enzymes in biological reactions.
Why are catalysts important?
Catalysts not only speed up reactions, and thereby decreasing production time, but also allow reactions to occur at lower temperatures. This is important for improving the sustainability of a process, as this will lead to reducing energy demand from burning fossil fuels and thus reducing CO2 emission. Also cheaper as fewer fossil fuels are burned.
What are two types of catalysts?
Homogeneous catalysts and Heterogeneous catalysts
What is a Homogeneous catalysts?
Where the reactants and the catalyst are in the same state.
What is a Heterogeneous catalysts?
Where the reactants and the catalyst are in different states.
How do catalysts work?
Not all collisions between particles result in a reaction, the particles must have a certain minimum energy called the Activation Energy. Catalysts provide an alternative route for the reaction of lower Activation Enthalpy.
What happens to an Enthalpy profile when a catalyst is added?
The curved line from reactants to products will be smaller as the activation energy is smaller.
