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An example of this phenomenon occurred during the Great Oxidation Event, in which biologically−produced molecular oxygen (dioxygen (O 2), an oxidizer and electron recipient) was added to the early Earth's atmosphere, which was originally a weakly reducing atmosphere containing reducing gases like methane (CH 4) and carbon monoxide (CO) (along ...
Redox (/ ˈ r ɛ d ɒ k s / RED-oks, / ˈ r iː d ɒ k s / REE-doks, reduction–oxidation [2] or oxidation–reduction [3]: 150 ) is a type of chemical reaction in which the oxidation states of the reactants change. [4] Oxidation is the loss of electrons or an increase in the oxidation state, while reduction is the gain of electrons or a ...
The oxygen reduction reaction is an essential reaction for aerobic organisms. Such organisms are powered by the heat of combustion of fuel (food) by O 2 . Rather than combustion, organisms rely on elaborate sequences of electron-transfer reactions, often coupled to proton transfer.
Common oxidizing agents are oxygen, hydrogen peroxide, and the halogens. In one sense, an oxidizing agent is a chemical species that undergoes a chemical reaction in which it gains one or more electrons. In that sense, it is one component in an oxidation–reduction (redox) reaction. In the second sense, an oxidizing agent is a chemical species ...
The increase in the oxidation state of an atom, through a chemical reaction, is known as oxidation; a decrease in oxidation state is known as a reduction. Such reactions involve the formal transfer of electrons: a net gain in electrons being a reduction, and a net loss of electrons being oxidation. For pure elements, the oxidation state is zero.
In organic chemistry, reduction is equivalent to the addition of hydrogen atoms, usually in pairs. The reaction of unsaturated organic compounds with hydrogen gas is called hydrogenation. The reaction of saturated organic compounds with hydrogen gas is called hydrogenolysis. Hydrogenolyses necessarily cleaves C-X bonds (X = C, O, N, etc.).
Since hydrogen can be used as an alternative clean burning fuel, there has been a need to split water efficiently. However, there are known materials that can mediate the reduction step efficiently therefore much of the current research is aimed at the oxidation half reaction also known as the Oxygen Evolution Reaction (OER).
For oxidation-reduction reactions in acidic conditions, after balancing the atoms and oxidation numbers, one will need to add H + ions to balance the hydrogen ions in the half reaction. For oxidation-reduction reactions in basic conditions, after balancing the atoms and oxidation numbers, first treat it as an acidic solution and then add OH − ...