Question

Difference between catalytic and stoichiometric reagents

Answer 1

Selective catalysis enables an efficient utilization of resources and the design of benign processes. Waste formation caused by stoichiometric reagents, for instance in reduction or oxidation reactions, can be overcome using suitable catalysts and benign reductants and oxidants, respectively. Solid acidic and basic catalysts prevent prevalent salt formation associated with the use of molecular acids and bases. Catalysts allow us to decrease the activation energy of chemical transformations, enhance the reaction rate, facilitate high selectivity and are crucial to reduce the number of process steps.