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The Ozone Story

Homogeneous catalysis and intermediates

  • 2 things to know
  • Components 01, 02 and 03

Overview

Recall questions on what makes catalysis homogeneous, what an intermediate is, and the two steps of the chlorine radical cycle.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Your recallNot started
Numbers

Why is ozone destruction by chlorine radicals homogeneous catalysis, what is an intermediate, and why must every step of a catalysed route have a lower activation enthalpy than the uncatalysed step?

Numbers

What is the step that regenerates the chlorine radical, which species is the catalyst and which the intermediate, and what is the overall equation?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    Define homogeneous catalysis.

    Model answer

    Homogeneous catalysis is catalysis in which the catalyst is in the same physical state, or phase, as the reactants.

  2. 2

    Why is the destruction of ozone by chlorine radicals described as homogeneous catalysis?

    Model answer

    The chlorine radicals and the ozone are all gases, so catalyst and reactants are in the same phase.

  3. 3

    How does a homogeneous catalyst work, in general terms?

    Model answer

    The catalyst first reacts with one of the reactants to form an intermediate, and that intermediate then reacts on to give the products and regenerate the catalyst.

  4. 4

    What is an intermediate?

    Model answer

    An intermediate is a species that is made in one step of a reaction and used up in a later step, so it does not appear in the overall equation.

  5. 5

    How does the enthalpy profile of a homogeneously catalysed reaction differ from the uncatalysed one?

    Model answer

    It has two humps with a dip between them where the intermediate sits, and each hump is lower than the single peak of the uncatalysed route.

  6. 6

    Why must every step of the catalysed route have a lower activation enthalpy than the uncatalysed step?

    Model answer

    The slowest step controls the overall rate, so if any one step still had a barrier as high as before there would be no gain in speed.

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