CHEMISTRY · Multi-part · ISC · Chemistry · Chemical Kinetics · Activation energy
Problem
Three separate reactions are listed below. Each reaction is known to be catalyzed, but the dominant catalytic strategy differs among them.
(a) For reactions I–III, classify each catalyst as primarily (i) binding/orientation, (ii) covalent (including acid–base), or (iii) surface catalysis. Provide one specific piece of mechanistic evidence or reasoning for each classification.
(b) For one reaction of your choice, explain why the net concentration of the catalyst remains constant throughout the reaction, even though the catalyst is temporarily consumed in an elementary step.