= Acid catalysis
In <acid catalysis>, an <acid> accelerates a <chemical reaction> and is regenerated by the complete catalytic cycle. Protonating a substrate can create a better <electrophile> or <leaving group>, opening a lower-barrier pathway.
For example, acid-catalyzed ester hydrolysis begins by increasing the reactivity of a carbonyl group toward <water>. A <catalyst> changes the rates of forward and reverse reactions without changing their equilibrium constant. Specific acid catalysis depends on the solvent's protonated species, while general acid catalysis can involve other proton donors directly in the rate-controlling process.
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