What are the properties of catalysts?

Catalysts are substances that increase the rate of chemical reactions without undergoing any permanent change in mass or composition. 

These are the most predominant properties of catalysts:

• Alter the rate of a reaction without being consumed in the reaction
• Lower the activation energy of forward and backward reaction as well as threshold energy
• May undergo physical changes during the reaction but their mass and composition remain unchanged at the end of the reaction
• Can be recovered once the reaction is over
• Is easily separable from the products of the chemical reaction
• Are highly specific in action, capable of catalyzing only specific reactions
• Small quantities are sufficient to catalyze a reaction
• Can activate the rate of reaction but cannot initiate reactions
• Does not change the nature of the products obtained through the reaction
• Does not change the energy and extent of reaction
• Does not affect the equilibrium state of the reaction and hence does not change its thermodynamics