Editing Catalysis (section)

===Example===
An illustrative example is the effect of catalysts to speed the decomposition of [[hydrogen peroxide]] into water and [[oxygen]]:
:2 H{{sub|2}}O{{sub|2}} → 2 H{{sub|2}}O + O{{sub|2}}
This reaction proceeds because the reaction products are more stable than the starting compound, but this decomposition is so slow that hydrogen peroxide solutions are commercially available. In the presence of a catalyst such as [[manganese dioxide]] this reaction proceeds much more rapidly. This effect is readily seen by the [[effervescence (chemistry)|effervescence]] of oxygen.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=[[University of Minnesota]] |title=Genie in a Bottle |date=2005-03-02 |url=http://www.chem.umn.edu/services/lecturedemo/info/genie.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080405195443/http://www.chem.umn.edu/services/lecturedemo/info/genie.htm |archive-date=2008-04-05}}</ref> The catalyst is not consumed in the reaction, and may be recovered unchanged and re-used indefinitely. Accordingly, manganese dioxide is said to ''catalyze'' this reaction. In living organisms, this reaction is catalyzed by [[enzyme]]s (proteins that serve as catalysts) such as [[catalase]].

Another example is the effect of catalysts on air pollution and reducing the amount of carbon monoxide. Development of active and selective catalysts for the conversion of carbon monoxide into desirable products is one of the most important roles of catalysts. Using catalysts for hydrogenation of carbon monoxide helps to remove this toxic gas and also attain useful materials.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Torkashvand |first1=Mostafa |last2=Sarabadani Tafreshi |first2=Saeedeh |last3=de Leeuw |first3=Nora H. |title=Density Functional Theory Study of the Hydrogenation of Carbon Monoxide over the Co (001) Surface: Implications for the Fischer–Tropsch Process |date=May 2023 |journal=Catalysts |language=en |volume=13 |issue=5 |pages=837 |issn=2073-4344 |doi=10.3390/catal13050837 |doi-access=free}}</ref>