ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Organocatalysis

Okay kiddo, so you know about chemistry, right? Well, organocatalysis is a special type of chemistry that uses organic molecules to help make reactions happen faster. Think of it like a helper - just like how you might need someone to help you tie your shoes or zip up your jacket when it's hard to do it by yourself.

Now, let's talk about these organic molecules. They are made up of carbon, hydrogen, and sometimes other atoms too. They are really good at reacting with other chemicals, and they can do it in ways that make the reaction happen faster and more efficiently.

So when we want to make a chemical reaction go faster, we can add these organic molecules to the mix. They work by sort of "pushing" the reactants to come together and react. The organic molecule itself doesn't get involved in the reaction, but it helps make it happen faster.

Organocatalysis is really cool because it can work for lots of different types of reactions. It can be used to make medicines, plastics, and all sorts of other things that we use every day. And because it uses organic molecules instead of more expensive and harder-to-find compounds, it can be a more affordable and environmentally friendly way to make chemicals. Cool, huh?