Question 1

What is activation energy and how do catalysts lower it?

Accepted Answer

Activation energy is the minimum energy required to initiate a chemical reaction. Catalysts provide an alternate reaction pathway with lower activation energy, enabling reactions to occur under less extreme conditions. This allows reactions to proceed faster at lower temperatures without being consumed in the process.

Question 2

What is the difference between homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis?

Accepted Answer

Homogeneous catalysts exist in the same phase as reactants, typically dissolved together in liquid. Heterogeneous catalysts are in a different phase, separated by a phase boundary. Heterogeneous catalysts are commonly solid metal nanoparticles dispersed on support materials like carbon or silica to increase surface area and prevent aggregation.

Question 3

How do enzymes function as biological catalysts?

Accepted Answer

Enzymes are biological molecules that act as extremely specific catalysts. They are shape-specific and guide substrate molecules into optimal configurations for reaction. Enzymes enable a wide range of biological reactions, such as acetate kinase facilitating the conversion of acetate to acetyl phosphate in microorganisms.

Question 4

Why do smaller nanoparticles have higher catalytic activity?

Accepted Answer

Smaller nanoparticles have higher catalytic activity because they contain more surface atoms per mole of catalyst. Active sites on nanoparticle surfaces, which may be planar faces or crystal edges, are where reactions occur. Greater surface area relative to volume increases the number of available active sites for reactants to interact with.

Question 5

What happens during the surface reaction mechanisms in heterogeneous catalysis?

Accepted Answer

Surface reactions begin with adsorption of reagents to active sites. The Eley-Rideal mechanism involves reaction between one adsorbed species and one in bulk solution. The Langmuir-Hinshelwood mechanism involves reaction between two adsorbed species. Products then desorb from the surface into bulk solution, regenerating the catalyst.

Question 6

How is the reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol monitored in the laboratory?

Accepted Answer

The reaction progress is monitored through color change using nuclear magnetic resonance nmr spectroscopy for product analysis. UV-Vis absorbance is measured at 400 nm to quantify the consumption of 4-nitrophenol. Plotting the natural log of absorbance versus time shows the reaction kinetics, with complete color fade indicating reaction completion.

Question 7

Why are catalysts important to modern industry and technology?

Accepted Answer

Catalysts account for approximately 35% of global GDP and sustain about 33% of the world population through applications like the Haber process for fertilizer production. They enable carbon-carbon coupling reactions such as the Heck Reaction, facilitate polymer synthesis, and support drug delivery applications. Catalysis is central to addressing modern energy and environmental challenges.

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