CAIE A-Level Chemistry 26.2.2 Heterogeneous Catalyst Mechanism

Practise describing how reactants adsorb on a solid catalyst, react with weakened bonds and desorb as products.

Exam points

adsorb reactant particles onto active sites and form interactions with the catalyst surface
explain that adsorption weakens reactant bonds or aligns species, lowering the pathway activation energy
desorb products to free active sites, leaving the catalyst chemically unchanged overall

[Maximum number: 2]

Hypophosphorous acid is an inorganic acid.
The conjugate base of hypophosphorous acid is $\mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{PO}_{2}^{-}$ .

A student suggests that the reaction between $\mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{PO}_{2}^{-}(\mathrm{aq})$ and $\mathrm{OH}^{-}(\mathrm{aq})$ might happen more quickly in the presence of a heterogeneous catalyst.

Describe the mode of action of a heterogeneous catalyst.

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26.2.2—Heterogeneous catalyst action question 1