👉 In the context of chemistry, a catalyst is an agent that increases the rate at which certain chemical reactions occur. It can be used to speed up the reaction by lowering the activation energy required for it to take place. A catalyst is typically present in solutions or mixtures where its presence will either increase the concentration of reactants (in the case of aqueous solutions) or decrease the concentrations of products (in the case of gaseous or solid forms). Catalysis can be used in a wide