Catalysts tau pom thawj zaug los ntawm Swedish chemist Betzerius. Ntau tshaj 100 xyoo dhau los, muaj ib zaj dab neeg hais txog cov khawv koob "Vajtswv khob".
Muaj ib hnub, Swedish chemist Betzerius tsis khoom rau kev sim hauv chav kuaj chemistry, thiab thaum yav tsaus ntuj, nws tus poj niam Maria tau npaj ib lub rooj noj mov rau cov txheeb ze thiab phooj ywg los ua kev zoo siab rau nws hnub yug. Betzerius tau nkag mus rau hauv qhov kev sim uas nws tsis nco qab txhua yam txog nws, thiab nws tsis yog txog thaum Maria rub nws tawm ntawm chav kuaj pom tias nws kaj ntug rau nws thiab maj nrawm tsev. Thaum nws nkag mus hauv tsev, cov qhua txawm tsa lawv lub khob los ua kev zoo siab rau nws, thiab nws nqa ib khob txiv duaj thiab haus nws yam tsis tau ntxuav tes. Thaum nws nchuav nws tus kheej ib khob cawv thib ob los ci, nws dhuav thiab qw tias, "Maria, ua cas koj coj kuv vinegar los haus!" Maria saib lub raj mis kom zoo, thiab nchuav ib khob rau saj, thiab tsis muaj dab tsi tsis ncaj ncees lawm nrog nws, nws yog ib qho kua txiv txiv duaj tiag tiag! Betzerius cia li muab lub khob cawv uas nws tau nchuav, thiab Maria nqa ib lub ncuav, yuav luag nplawm nws, thiab hais tias, "Vim li cas cov cawv qab zib tam sim ntawd tig mus rau hauv acetic acid?" Cov qhua tuaj txog ib qho tom qab, saib, thiab twv txog qhov txawv txawv uas tau tshwm sim rau "lub khob ntawm Vajtswv."
Betzerius nrhiav pom tias muaj cov hmoov dub me me hauv lub khob. Nws ntsia ntawm nws txhais tes thiab pom tias lawv tau stained nrog platinum dub uas nws tau thov rau cov kub dawb uas nws tau muab sib tsoo hauv chav kuaj. Nws zoo siab hlo haus lub khob qaub cawv. Nws hloov tawm hais tias cov khawv koob ntawm tig cawu cub rau hauv acetic acid los ntawm platinum hmoov, uas accelerates cov tshuaj tiv thaiv ntawm ethanol (cawv) thiab oxygen nyob rau hauv cov huab cua los tsim acetic acid. Tom qab ntawd, cov nyhuv no tau hu ua catalytic lossis catalytic, uas txhais tau tias "tsis ua haujlwm" hauv Greek.
Nyob rau hauv 1836, nws kuj tau luam tawm ib daim ntawv nyob rau hauv Annals ntawm Physics thiab Chemistry, nyob rau hauv uas nws thawj tswv yim lub tswv yim ntawm "catalysis" thiab "catalyst" siv nyob rau hauv cov tshuaj tiv thaiv.