Catalytic cycle

In chemistry, a catalytic cycle is a multistep reaction mechanism that involves a catalyst.

Since catalysts are regenerated, catalytic cycles are usually written as a sequence of chemical reactions in the form of a loop.

Many metal halides are precatalysts for alkene polymerization, see Kaminsky catalyst and Ziegler-Natta catalysis.

The metal oxides require some activating reagent, usually a reducing agent, to enter the catalytic cycle.

[citation needed] "Sacrificial catalysts" are more accurately referred to by their actual role in the catalytic cycle, for example as a reductant.