Oxidizing agent Totally Explained

Everything about Oxidizing Agent totally explained

An oxidizing agent (also called an oxidant or oxidizer) can be defined as either:

a chemical compound that readily transfers oxygen atoms, or
a substance that gains electrons in a redox chemical reaction The former definition isn't applicable to what most people read about, but it's the sense in which most organic chemists use the term. In both cases, the oxidizing agent becomes reduced in the process.

In simple terms:

The oxidizing agent is reduced.

The reducing agent is oxidized.

All atoms in a molecule can be assigned an oxidation number. This number changes when an oxidant acts on a substrate.

Redox reactions occur when electrons are exchanged. A mnemonic for differentiating the reactions is "OIL RIG": Oxidation Is Loss, Reduction Is Gain (of electrons) or "LEO the lion says GER" (Lose Electrons: Oxidation, Gain Electrons: Reduction)

Example of oxidation

The formation of iron(III) oxide; ť 4Fe + 3O₂ → 2Fe₂O₃

In the above equation, the Iron (Fe) has an oxidation number of 0 before and 3+ after the reaction. For oxygen (O) the oxidation number began as 0 and decreased to 2−. These changes can be viewed as two "half-reactions" that occur concurrently:

Oxidation Half Reaction: Fe⁰ → Fe³⁺ + 3e⁻

Reduction Half Reaction: O₂ + 4e⁻ → 2 O²⁻ Iron III (Fe) has been oxidized because the oxidation number increased and is the reducing agent because it gave electrons to the oxygen (O). Oxygen (O) has been reduced because the oxidation number has decreased and is the oxidizing agent because it took electrons from iron (Fe)

Alternate meanings

Because the process of oxidation is so widespread (explosives, chemical synthesis, corrosion), the term oxidizing agent has acquired multiple meanings.
   One definition, an oxidizing agent receives - or accepts - electrons from a reagent. In this context, the oxidizing agent is called an electron acceptor. A classic oxidizing agent is the ferrocenium ion [Fe(C₅H₅)₂]⁺ which accepts an electron to form Fe(C₅H₅)₂. Of great interest to chemists are the details of the electron transfer event, which can be described as inner sphere or outer sphere.
   In another more colloquial usage, an oxidizing agent transfers oxygen atoms to the substrate. In this context, the oxidizing agent can be called an oxygenation reagent or oxygen-atom transfer agent. Examples include [MnO₄]⁻ permanganate, [CrO₄]²⁻ chromate, OsO₄ osmium tetroxide, and especially [ClO₄]⁻ perchlorate. Notice that these species are all oxides, and in fact, polyoxides. In some cases, these oxides can also serve as electron acceptors, as illustrated by the conversion of [MnO₄]⁻ to [MnO₄]²⁻, manganate.
   The strict dangerous goods definition of an oxidizing agent are substances that, while in themselves not necessarily combustible, may, generally by yielding oxygen, cause, or contribute to, the combustion of other material. (Australian Dangerous Goods Code 6th Edition) By this definition some materials that are classified as oxidizing agents by analytical chemists are not classified as oxidizing agents in a dangerous goods sense. An example is potassium dichromate which doesn't pass the dangerous goods test of an oxidizing agent.

Common oxidizing agents

Hypochlorite and other hypohalite compounds such as Bleach

Iodine and other halogens

Chlorite, chlorate, perchlorate, and other analogous halogen compounds

Permanganate salts

Ammonium cerium(IV) nitrate and probably related Cerium(IV) compounds

Hexavalent chromium compounds such as chromic and dichromic acids and chromium trioxide, Pyridinium chlorochromate (PCC), and chromate/dichromate compounds

Peroxide compounds

Tollen's Reagent

Sulfoxides

Persulfuric acid

Ozone

Osmium tetroxide (OsO₄)

Nitric acid

Nitrous oxide (N₂O)

Common oxidizing agents and their products

Agent	Product(s)
O₂ oxygen	Various including oxides, H₂O, or CO₂
O₃ ozone	Various including ketones and aldehydes, H₂O, see ozonolysis
F₂ fluorine	F⁻
Cl₂ chlorine	Cl⁻
Br₂ bromine	Br⁻
I₂ iodine	I⁻, I₃⁻
OCl⁻ hypochlorite	Cl⁻, H₂O
ClO₃⁻ chlorate	Cl⁻, H₂O
HNO₃ nitric acid	NO nitric oxide NO₂ nitrogen dioxide
Hexavalent chromium CrO₃ chromium trioxide CrO₄²⁻ chromate Cr₂O₇²⁻ dichromate	Cr³⁺, H₂O
MnO₄⁻ permanganate MnO₄²⁻ manganate	Mn²⁺ (acidic) or MnO₂ (basic)
H₂O₂, other peroxides	Various including oxides, H₂O

Further Information

Get more info on 'Oxidizing Agent'.

External Link Exchanges

Do you know how hard it is to get a link from a large encyclopaedia? Well we're different and will prove it. To get a link from us just add the following HTML to your site on a relevant page:

<a href="http://oxidizing_agent.totallyexplained.com">Oxidizing agent Totally Explained</a>

Then simply click through this link from your web page. Our crawlers will verify your link, extract the title of your web page and instantly add a link back to it. If you like you can remove the words Totally Explained and embed the link in article text.
As long as your link remains in place, we'll keep our link to you right here. Please play fair - our crawlers are watching. Your site must be closely related to this one's topic. Any kind of spamming, dubious practises or removing the link will result in your link from us being dropped and, potentially, your whole site being banned.