Acid-base catalysis

Acid-base interactions play a predominant role in chemical reactions, whether they occur in living matter or are implemented by man. Many of these reactions are catalytic. Enzymatic catalysis is used not only in living organisms, but also in the synthesis of high-value-added products and in pollution control. In large industrial processes, homogeneous acid catalysis, which was initially widely used, has, for economic and ecological reasons, been progressively replaced by heterogeneous catalysis.

The oil industry has made a major contribution to the development of solid acid catalysts. The majority of oil refining and petrochemical processes use these catalysts, which are essentially oxides: silica-alumina, zeolites, chlorinated aluminas. This is not the case in organic synthesis (fine chemicals, pharmaceuticals), where homogeneous catalysis is still predominant. The 1970s saw a resurgence of interest in this area, with the discovery of the potential for low-temperature activation of poorly reactive species by superacidic media.

This article is divided into two parts. The first recalls the theories of acid-base catalysis and the mechanisms of hydrocarbon transformation by acid and base catalysis. The second presents some major applications of acid catalysis, focusing on the catalysts used and the reaction mechanisms.