Catalysts in organic chemistry

Although the first application of catalysis, i.e. the production of beer and wine by fermentation, dates back to antiquity, catalysis only truly earned the label of science once the key question of the general mode of action of catalysts had been answered. The aim of this book is to find a solution to the problem of slow chemical reactions, by using catalysts to increase their reaction speed. Catalysis is said to be homogeneous if the catalyst is in the same phase as the reaction medium, and heterogeneous if the catalyst is not in the same phase as the reaction medium. Almost all chemical reactions in biological systems are catalyzed by enzymes, the largest and most specialized class of proteins.