Is Catalyst works like a proxy or async mode?

[cgx-avenue]

Hi,
Thanks for making this project. Catalyst is a great tool! I have a question regarding how Catalyst works, whether it works like a proxy or in async mode. (Please see references ). I have checked the documentation but couldn't find the answer. Could anyone help me gain a picture on this? Thanks!

[kiranscaria]

@cgx-avenue Catalyst works in async mode

[sumansuhag]

Hey!,
The catalyst interacts with the reactants to give rise to intermediates which help in the formation of final reaction products without itself undergoing any change during the entire process. In a chemical reaction, the catalyst works in different modes as a heterogeneous catalyst or a homogeneous catalyst, as follows:

• Heterogeneous catalysis employs catalysts, which often may be supported on a surface for better efficacy and cost reduction. The reactants adsorb on active sites, interact and react, and then desorb as products.
• Homogeneous catalysis has catalysts uniformly dispersed within the reaction mixture; these catalysts may even interact with substrates to form intermediates, which then are converted to products.

The documentation for Catalyst makes no specific mention of such async-mode or proxy functionality, but otherwise orbit/attack in various environments or conditions, e.g. ¹ ²:

• Turbulence in temperature and pH control: External stimulations of temperature or pH will toggle minimal interpretable states of the catalyst.
• Light and electric fields: These and other active fields can provide spatial and temporal control over catalytic activity.

Look for clues in project documentation and source code or reach out to the developer community for more information.