Several metrics are used to evaluate the effectiveness of a catalyst. These include turnover number (TON), turnover frequency (TOF), selectivity, and activation energy. TON refers to the number of moles of product produced per mole of catalyst. TOF is the number of catalytic cycles per unit time. Selectivity measures how selectively a catalyst produces the desired product over undesired by-products. Activation energy is the energy barrier that the catalyst helps to lower, thereby speeding up the reaction.
