What is the Difference Between Organic and Inorganic Catalysts?

Organic and inorganic catalysts are both substances that accelerate chemical reactions without being consumed in the process. However, there are key differences between the two types of catalysts:

1. Chemical Structure: Organic catalysts primarily contain H and O atoms in their chemical structure, while inorganic catalysts do not essentially contain C, H, and O atoms in their chemical structure.
2. Origin: Organic catalysts can be synthesized in living cells or made artificially, whereas inorganic catalysts cannot be synthesized in living cells and are made only artificially.
3. Examples: Organic catalysts include enzymes like kinases, invertase, and polymerase. Inorganic catalysts, on the other hand, include metals like palladium, cobalt, and copper.
4. Size: Inorganic catalysts generally have little difference in size between the catalyst and substrate molecules, while organic catalysts, particularly enzymes, are quite large compared to the size of substrate molecules.
5. Molecular Weight: Inorganic catalysts have a comparatively low molecular weight, while organic catalysts, such as enzymes, have a high molecular weight.
6. Efficiency: Organic catalysts, especially enzymes, are highly efficient in catalyzing specific reactions of a single or only a few substrates. Inorganic catalysts can catalyze diverse reactions but are generally less efficient than organic catalysts.
7. Temperature and pH: Inorganic catalysts are not sensitive to small changes in temperature and pH, and they usually operate at high temperature and pressure. Organic catalysts, particularly enzymes, are effective in a narrow range of temperature found in living beings and can be influenced by small changes in pH.

In summary, organic catalysts, such as enzymes, are typically larger, more efficient, and sensitive to temperature and pH changes, while inorganic catalysts, such as metals, are smaller, less efficient, and more stable under various conditions.

Comparative Table: Organic vs Inorganic Catalysts

Here is a table comparing the differences between organic and inorganic catalysts:

Organic catalysts are involved in organocatalysis processes and consist of carbon, hydrogen, sulfur, and other chemical elements that are nonmetals and can be found in organic compounds. Inorganic catalysts, on the other hand, have an inorganic chemical structure and support metals that emulate the function of enzymes.