catalysis
n.the process of making a chemical reaction happen faster by using a special substance. This substance, called a catalyst, stays the same after the reaction is done.
n.the acceleration of a chemical reaction by a substance that is not consumed in the process. Often involves the lowering of the activation energy required for the reaction to proceed.
“The catalysis of the reaction makes the process much faster.”
“In industrial chemistry, catalysis is essential for producing fuels and plastics efficiently without excessive heat.”
“The study of enzymatic catalysis has provided profound insights into how biological systems manage to perform complex chemical transformations at room temperature with remarkable specificity.”
“The metallic Ni observed after a reaction may simply form when nickel oxide is reduced by syngas at high temperatures, rather than representing the species that actually performs the catalysis.”
From Ancient Greek κατάλυσις (katálusis, “dissolution”), from καταλύω (katalúō, “I dissolve”), from κατά (katá, “down”) + λύω (lúō, “I loose”). By surface analysis, cata- + -lysis.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.