What term refers to substances that speed up chemical reactions?

The term that refers to substances that speed up chemical reactions is "catalysts." Catalysts are critical in various chemical processes because they lower the activation energy required for a reaction to proceed, thus allowing the reaction to happen more quickly and efficiently. In the context of nail technology, understanding catalysts is important because they are often used in products like gels and acrylics to initiate or enhance curing processes.

In contrast, agents may refer to a broad category of substances but do not specifically denote those that facilitate chemical reactions. Substrates refer to the surface or medium on which a reaction occurs, while promoters typically enhance or increase the effectiveness of a reaction but do not necessarily qualify as catalysts.