Catalysts can be divided into two types: homogeneous and heterogeneous.

Homogeneous catalysts occupy the same phase as the reaction mixture, while heterogeneous catalysts occupy a different phase. Homogeneous catalysts allow for greater mixing and interaction with the reaction mixture than heterogeneous catalysts. catalyst a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without being consumed in the process Catalysts are compounds that, when added to chemical reactions, increase the reaction rate and reduce the activation energy, as shown in Figure 0. The amount of a catalyst does not change during a reaction, as it is not consumed as part of the reaction process. Catalysts lower the energy required to reach the transition state of the reaction, allowing more molecular interactions to achieve that state. However, catalysts do not affect the degree to which a reaction progresses. In other words, though catalysts affect reaction kinetics, the equilibrium state remains unaffected. Catalysts can be classified into two types: homogeneous and heterogeneous. Homogeneous catalysts are those which exist in the same phase (gas or liquid) as the reactants, while heterogeneous catalysts are not in the same phase as the reactants. Typically, heterogeneous catalysis involves the use of solid catalysts placed in a liquid reaction mixture. There are advantages and disadvantages to both types of catalysis. For instance, while homogeneous catalysis allows for more effective mixing of the catalyst with the reaction mixture, heterogeneous catalysis provides the opportunity for the recovery of expensive catalysts, which is a useful property for the manufacturing processes. Examples of homogeneous catalysis include acid, organometallic, and enzymatic catalysis, with proton acids being one of the most commonly used catalysts (for example, in the esterification of acids). Like many other catalysts, the addition of acid can speed reactions by affecting bond polarization. Homogeneous catalysts are used in variety of industrial applications, as they allow for an increase in reaction rate without an increase in temperature.

https://www.boundless.com/chemistry/chemical-kinetics/catalysis/homogeneouscatalysis/

Catalysts do one very simple but vitally important thing, they speed up chemical reactions without being used up in the process. The way catalysts achieve this is by providing an alternative route for the reaction to follow that has a lower activation energy. You can think of this as being on one side of a mountain pass. Even though your destination on the other side is closer to sea level you just dont have enough stamina to climb the pass in order to go back down the other side. The catalyst provides a tunnel that takes you through the mountains so that you never have to climb that high. An important thing to remember is that the route takes two-way traffic and so it cannot affect the final concentrations of reactants and products, just how soon the final concentrations are reached. The normal way of saying this is that a catalyst cannot affect the equilibrium position of a reaction, just the rate.
The two types of catalyst you will meet are called homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts. Whilst they achieve the same result they work in fundamentally different ways. With homogeneous catalysts the catalyst and all the reactants are in a single phase usually either liquid or an aqueous solution. Invariably the catalyst is taken up into the chemical reaction before being spat out at the end. Most industrial catalysed reactions are of the heterogeneous type. Here the reactants and the catalyst are in different phases. Usually the catalyst is in the solid phase whilst the reactants are either liquid or gaseous. In industrial applications the catalyst is often supported on a substrate that allows the effective surface area to be increased and the catalyst to be fixed in place.

http://spaceflight.esa.int/impress/text/education/Catalysis/index.html