homogeneous or heterogeneous
Catalysts may be classified as either homogeneous or heterogeneous. A homogeneous catalyst is uniformly dispersed throughout the reactant mixture to form a solution. Sulfuric acid, for example, is a homogeneous catalyst used in the synthesis of esters such as procaine Example 13 . An ester has a structure similar to that of a carboxylic acid, in which the hydrogen atom attached to oxygen has been replaced by an R group. They are responsible for the fragrances of many fruits, flowers, and perfumes. Other examples of homogeneous catalysts are the enzymes that allow our bodies to function. In contrast, a heterogeneous catalyst is in a different physical state than the reactants. For economic reasons, most industrial processes use heterogeneous catalysts in the form of solids that are added to solutions of the reactants. Because such catalysts often contain expensive precious metals such as platinum or palladium, it makes sense to formulate them as solids that can be easily separated from the liquid or gaseous reactantproduct mixture and recovered. Examples of heterogeneous catalysts are the iron oxides used in the industrial synthesis of ammonia and the catalytic converters found in virtually all modern automobiles, which contain precious metals like palladium and rhodium. Catalysis will be discussed in more detail in Chapter 14 "Chemical Kinetics" when we discuss reaction rates, but you will encounter the term frequently throughout the text.