BY MEANS OF CATALYSTS. CREIGHTOX. 29 



discussed at length by Fajans 1 . In order to answer this ques- 

 tion the exact definition of catalysis and catalyst must be 

 considered. Ostwald, who has done so much work in this 

 region, has defined 2 catalysis as follows: "Katalyse ist die 

 Beschleunigung eines langsam verlaufeiiden. chemischen Vor- 

 gangs durch die Gegenwart eines fremden Stoffes." This defini- 

 tion is independent of what the cause of what catalysis may be. 

 A catalyst he defines 3 as "jedeii Stoff, der ohne im Endproducte 

 einer chemischen Reaktion zu erscheinen, ihre Geschwiiidigkeit 

 verandert." This definition has been broadened by Bredig 4 : 

 "Die Katalysatoreii sind Stoffe, welche die Gesehwindiffkeit 

 einer Reaktion verandern, ohne stets eine stochiometrische 

 aquivalente Beziehung der eventuell umgewandelten Menge des 

 sogenannteii Katalysators zu der Menge der aiidereii umge- 

 wandelten Substanzen, der sog. Substrate, besteht." This last 

 definition, which includes the former, is accepted to-day by 

 most investigators in the field of catalysis. 



There has been s.ome doubt expressed as to whether the 

 decomposition of camphor-carboxylic acid as carried out by 

 Fajans is a catalytic process. Objections have been made to 

 the use of equivalent quantities of acid and base on the one 

 hand, and to the mechanism of the reaction on the other. 

 These criticisms have been fully answered by Fajans 5 . 



In our reaction it has been found that the decomposition 

 of bromcamphor-carboxylic acid is greatly accelerated by the 

 presence of very small quantities of base. It has further been 

 shown , that the base used to catalyse the decomposition of the 

 acid is in the same condition and Dresent in the same amount 

 at the end of the reaction as at the beginning; and also that 

 it is capable of decomposing a new quantity of acid ivith the 

 same velocity as at first. 



1. Fajans, K.: loc. cit. p. 59-65. 



2. Ostwald, W.: Zeit. f. phys. Chemie, 15, 705, (1894); Lehrb. d. 

 allgem. Chemie, 2. Aufl. (1), 2, 515, (1893). 



3. Ostwald, W.: Zeit. f. Elektrochem, 7, 998, (1901). 



4. Bredig-, G.: ibid., 9, 735, (1903). 



5. Fajans, K.: loc. cit. 



6. Creig-hton, H. J. M.: Dissertation, Zurich, 1911, p. 30 und 74. 



