How do catalysts lower the activation energy of a chemical reaction?

Catalysts accelerate chemical reactions by providing an alternative pathway with a lower activation energy, which is the minimum energy required for a reaction to occur.1

They achieve this by entering into a chemical interaction with the reactants to form temporary chemical intermediates. These intermediates are more reactive and can transform into the desired end products more readily than the original reactants could on their own. During the subsequent steps of the reaction, the catalyst is regenerated, meaning it is not consumed and remains available to facilitate the transformation of additional reactant molecules.12

By lowering the energy barrier, catalysts increase the rate at which a reaction reaches equilibrium, though they do not change the final position of that equilibrium. This process is fundamental to both industrial chemistry and biological systems, where enzymes act as essential catalysts for life-sustaining reactions.12