anticatalyst

Thân thiện

A chemist adds an anticatalyst to slow down the reaction.

Definition

Noun: 1. (Chemistry) A substance that slows down or prevents a chemical reaction, or reduces the effectiveness of a catalyst. An anticatalyst works against the action of a catalyst, which is a substance that speeds up a reaction.

Usage

The term "anticatalyst" is a specialized scientific term used primarily in chemistry. It describes an agent that has an inhibitory effect on a chemical process. * The researcher added an anticatalyst to the mixture to prevent the polymerization reaction from occurring too quickly. * Certain impurities can act as an anticatalyst, poisoning the catalyst and stopping the reaction entirely.

Advanced Usage

• Catalyst Poison: In industrial contexts, an anticatalyst is often referred to as a "catalyst poison." This is a specific type of anticatalyst that deactivates a catalyst, usually by binding strongly to its active sites.
  • Sulfur compounds are common catalyst poisons for many metal catalysts used in refining.

Variants and Related Words

• Inhibitor (n.): A more general term for any substance that slows down or prevents a chemical reaction. All anticatalysts are inhibitors, but not all inhibitors are anticatalysts (some inhibit reactions that don't involve catalysts).
• Retardant (n.): A substance that delays a process, such as a flame retardant.
• Catalyst (n.): The direct opposite; a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without itself being consumed.

Synonyms

• Inhibitor
• Reaction retarder
• Negative catalyst (less common)
• Catalyst poison (specific type)

Antonyms

• Catalyst
• Promoter (a substance that increases the activity of a catalyst)
• Accelerant

Học thuật

Noun

1. (chemistry) a substance that retards a chemical reaction or diminishes the activity of a catalyst