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TopicsDictionary > OxidationOxidationoxidation definitionOxidationn., plural: oxidations[ˌɒksɪ

ˈdeɪʃən]Definition: the process, act, or result of oxidizingTable of ContentsOxidation
DefinitionHow do we define oxidation? There are several definitions of the oxidation process.
Oxidation can be considered as an addition of an oxygen atom to a compound. The opposite of
this process is called the reduction in which there is the removal of an electron.Look at the figure-
1. When Iron ore (Fe2O3) reacts with carbon monoxide (CO), it produces Iron (Fe) and carbon
dioxide gas (CO2).Where is the oxygen added? It is added to CO to produce CO2. Thus, we can
say that CO is oxidized. Which oxidized CO? Fe2O3 oxidized CO by giving its oxygen; thus.
Fe2O3 is called an “oxidizing agent”.oxidaiton of CO to CO2 diagramFigure 1: Oxidation of
CO to CO2. Credit: Jim Clark – Definitions of Oxidation and Reduction.What did CO do to
Fe2O3?CO reduced Fe2O3 by removing oxygen from it. Thus we can say that CO is a “reducing
agent” that reduces Fe2O3 to pure Fe (iron).Well, the addition or removal of oxygen is one
definition of oxidation and reduction, respectively.Biology definition:Biological oxidation is a
biological process that involves the loss of electrons as opposed to the reduction process where
there is a gain of electrons. Oxidation and reduction, however, are coupled together as a
‘redox‘ reaction, which is an energy-producing reaction within the cell. Etymology: from
French, from “oxider”, meaning “to oxidize”, from oxide. Variant: oxidization. Compare:
reduction.There is a more robust definition of these processes:Oxidation is defined as a process in
which an electron is removed from a molecule during a chemical reaction.What happens in
oxidation? During oxidation, there is a transfer of electrons. In other words, during oxidation,
there is a loss of electrons. There is an opposite process of oxidation known as a reduction in
which there is a gain of electrons.Let’s understand the oxidation chemistry by observing the
reaction below:CuO + Mg → MgO + CuIn the above reaction, the Mg ion loses electrons to form
magnesium oxide. Similarly, CuO gains an electron to become pure Cu (copper).Oxidation takes
place as a molecule, atom, or ion raises its oxidation state. The reverse mechanism is known as
reduction, which happens as the electron gain or the oxidation state of the atom, molecule, or ion
reduces.Another good example is that hydrofluoric acid is formed by the reaction of hydrogen and
fluorine gas:H2 + F2 → 2HFThe above reaction oxidizes hydrogen and reduces fluorine. If two
half-reactions are described, the reaction can be best understood.H2 → 2H+ + 2e-F2 + 2e- → 2F-
oxidation and reduction reaction diagramFigure 2: Illustration of oxidation and reduction
reactions.Credit: Bensaccount – redox reaction diagram, public domain.Oxidation involving
oxygenOxygen has been added to a compound as an older method of oxidation. That was because
the first understood oxidizing agent was oxygen gas (O2). Although oxygen is typically added to a
compound in compliance with the loss of electron requirement and an oxidation state increase, the
oxidation concept has been expanded to incorporate additional chemical reactions.The old
oxidation concept of iron in combination with oxygen to produce iron oxide is a classic example
of an oxidation reaction. The iron oxidized in rust. The chemical reaction is the following:2Fe +
O2 → Fe2O3Iron oxide is formed known as rust through the oxidation of iron oxide.Oxidation
involving hydrogenOxidation involving oxygen is the modern meaning of the term oxidation.
Also, there is another description of hydrogen that can be used in organic chemistry. This is the
reverse of the concept of oxygen, and can thus create confusion. It’s still nice to be mindful
about it. Oxidation is the loss of hydrogen, according to the description, whereas the reduction, in
hydrogen gain.An example of this is when ethanol is formed by oxidizing ethanol.CH3CH2OH →
CH3CHOEthanol is known to be oxidized by the loss of hydrogen. By reversing the equation and
adding hydrogen to ethanol, ethanol can be reduced.“Oil rig” chemistryThe oil rig can be used
to understand the modern concept of oxidation and reduction. It deals with electrons only and not
oxygen or hydrogen. It is a simple technique to recognize and remember which element is
oxidized and which one is reduced. The Oil rig stands for Oxidation Is Loss, Reduction is gain of
electrons.This is a convenient abbreviation to represent the term electron loss or gain. An atom
becomes an ion if it gains or loses an electron. The term used to explain this mechanism rests on
whether an atom has lost (oxidation) or gained (reduction) an electron.For example, if a hydrogen
(H) atom loses an electron it becomes a positively charged ion (H+). So, it can be said that the
hydrogen atom has oxidized and an oxidation reaction took place. Conversely, if a chlorine (Cl)
atom gains an electron, it becomes a negatively charged ion (Cl–). Therefore, the chlorine atom
is said to be reduced and the reduction reaction occurred.Oxidation ProcessOxidation and
reduction processes take place at the same time and cannot be carried out independently. The
individual reactions of oxidation and reduction are taken as half-reactions, subsequently, two half-
reactions combine to form a full reaction. The electrons gained or lost are explicitly used such that
the half-reaction with the electric charge is balanced. The combination of these half-reactions to
form a net chemical equation tends to cancel out the electrons.Oxidizing and reducing agentsThe
reducing agent passes electrons into the oxidant during the redox process. In the reaction, thus,
electrons are lost and oxidized by the reduction agent, while it is reduced by gaining electrons by
the oxidizing agent.OxidizersOxidizers are substances that have the potential to lose electrons
from another substance are considered oxidizing or oxidative and are called oxidizing agents. In
other words, the oxidizing agent eliminates electrons from another material and is, thus, reduced.
The oxidizing agent can also be termed as an electron acceptor because it accepts an electron. The
high oxidation state chemicals like H2O2, MnO–4, or highly electronegative elements like O2,
F2 are good examples of oxidizing agents.ReducersReducers are those substances that have the
potential to reduce other substances making them gain electrons are considered reductive or
reducing and are called ”reducing agents”. They get themselves oxidized and transfer electrons
to other substances. Furthermore, the reducing agent is also known as an electron donor as it
donates an electron to another substance. Sodium, magnesium, iron, etc., which are electropositive
metals, are good examples of reducing agents.Oxidation-Reduction Reactions (Redox
Reactions)Let us now understand the concept of redox reactions and major types.What is a redox
reaction?An oxidation-reduction reaction, also known as redox reaction is one in which the
oxidation number of involved atoms is changed. The concept encompasses a wide variety of
processes. Many reductions and oxidation reactions are as natural as combustion, metal rusting
and dissolution, fruit browning and respiration, and photosynthesis, which is the essential
mechanism of life.Major ClassificationsRedox processes mostly require the transfer of oxygen and
hydrogen atoms, or electrons. All three processes share two essential features: Firstly, they are
coupled, which means an oxidation reaction is followed by a reciprocal reduction reaction.
Secondly, a net chemical change is involved, which means the transition of an electron or atom
taking place from one substance to another.In redox reactions examples of the three typical forms
of redox reactions are given below, reciprocity and net shift are well described.Oxygen-atom
transferThe reaction between carbon and mercury oxides takes place to form carbon dioxide and
mercury metal. The bonding capacity of mercury oxide is considered to be +2 and a change in
oxidation state can be seen below.C + 2HgO → CO2 + HgCarbon is oxidized as it receives
oxygen; in mercury, oxide-oxygen is removed and reduced complementarity. The net change
includes a shift from mercury oxide units with two oxygen atoms to a carbon atom.Hydrogen-
atom transferIn the following reaction, hydrogen atoms are transferred to oxygen from hydrazine,
a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen:N2H4 + O2 → N2 + 2H2OHydrazine is oxidized to
molecular nitrogen, loses hydrogen, whereas oxygen is reduced to water, gaining
hydrogen.Electron transferThe zinc metal and copper ion react in the solution of water creating
copper metal and an aqueous zinc ion.Zn + Cu2+ → Zn2+ + Cu[a]The zinc metal is oxidized
when its two electrons transfer and become an aqueous zinc ion. Furthermore, the copper ion
gained electrons and was reduced to copper metal. The transfer of two electrons is the net change
that zinc lost and copper gained.Stoichiometric basisNo information on the mechanism by which
change occurs can be obtained when redox processes are defined as above. An overall explanation
is known as the reaction stoichiometry, which gives the combining elements and compounds
characteristic proportions. Reactions are known as stoichiometric redox and nonredox;
stoichiometric groups include an oxygen atom, hydrogen atom, and electron transfer.Oxidation-
state changeThe new theory of molecular structure has made complete descriptions of oxidation
and reduction possible. Each atom contains a positive nucleus surrounded by negative electrons
that define each element’s bonding characteristics. Atoms donate, gain, or exchange electrons
when developing chemical bonds. This allows the assignment of each atom an oxidation number,
determining the number of the electrons which can form bonds with other atoms. The bonding
trend inside a molecule is determined by the specific atoms in a molecule and its specified
bonding ability, and each atom shall be considered as in a certain oxidation state described as an
oxidation number.Redox processes are characterized as reactions followed by oxidation-state
changes: an increase in oxidation of the atom correlates to oxidation; decrease, decrease. The
reactions which are followed by oxidation state changes are known as redox processes, in which
the oxidation number of an atom increases correlates to oxidation, and a decrease in the oxidation
number corresponds to a reduction. An example of an oxidation state of an element is Fe3+, which
means iron in an oxidation state of +3.Oxidation ExamplesA very effective oxidizing agent is
molecular oxygen, which oxidizes almost all metals and many non-metals directly. These direct
oxidations result in normal oxides like lithium, zinc, phosphorus, and sulfur.4Li + O2 → 2Li2O
(lithium oxide)2Zn + O2 → 2ZnO (zinc oxide)4P + 5O2 → P4O10 (phosphorous pentoxide)S +
O2 → SO2 (sulfur dioxide)What is oxidation in chemistry?A good example of oxidation in
chemistry is metal displacement. In a compound or solution, a metal atom replaced another metal
atom. Copper, for instance, is formed when the reaction of zinc metal takes place in a solution of
copper (II) sulfate:Zn(s) + CuSO4 (aq) → ZnSO4 (aq) + Cu(s)In the above-mentioned redox
reaction example, in a solution of copper sulfate, copper (II) ion is displaced by zinc metal, and
free copper metal is produced. The reaction is spontaneous and produces 213 kJ per 65 g of zinc
since, compared to zinc, the low energy of copper metal is because of bonding through its d-
orbitals being partially filled.The reaction for ionic equation given as:Zn + Cu2+ → Zn2+ + CuAs
two half-reactions, zinc is oxidized:Zn → Zn2+ + 2e–And the copper is reduced:Cu2+ + 2e– →
CuDiagram of a galvanic cellFigure 3. Diagram of a galvanic cell depicting zinc electrode placed
in ZnSO4 solution connected through a wire to copper electrode dipped in CuSO4 solution.
Credit: Ohiostandard – galvanic cell diagram, CC BY-SA 4.0Nitrate reduction to nitrogen in the
presence of acid known as de-nitrification is another example. The reaction can be written
as:2NO–3 + 10e– + 12H+ → N2 + 6H2OHydrocarbon combustion, like internal combustion
engines, produces H2O, CO, some partly oxidized sources of CO2 and heat energy. The full
oxidation of carbon-containing materials creates CO2.The oxidation of hydrocarbons in organic
chemistry by oxygen forms water and subsequently, alcohol, aldehyde or a carboxylic acid,
ketone, and afterward a peroxide.What is oxidation in biology?Numerous significant processes
require redox reactions. Cellular respiration, for example, is the oxidation of glucose in biology to
carbon dioxide and oxygen to water reduction. The cellular respiration equation is summarized
as:C[b]6H[c]12O[d]6 + 6O[e]2 → 6CO[f]2 + 6H[g]2O[h]The cell respiration mechanism also
heavily relies on NAD+ reduction to NADH and the reverse (NADH oxidation to NAD+)
reaction. Both photosynthesis and cellular respiration are related; however, in cell respiration
photosynthesis is not the reverse of a redox reaction.6CO2 + 6H2O + light energy → C6H12O6 +
6O2By redox reactions, biological energy is often collected and released.Figure 4: Krebs Cycle of
cell respiration. SourcePhotosynthesis requires carbon dioxide reductions into sugars as well as
molecular oxygen oxidation of the water. Water and CO2 are produced by the oxidation of sugars
through the respiration reverse reaction. The reduced carbon molecules are being used as
intermediate steps to reduce NAD+ (Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) to NADH, which then
helps create a gradient of protons that activates adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis and retains
oxygen reduction. Mitochondria functions are comparable. Oxidation in geologyRedox reaction is
significant in geology along with chemistry and biology. Redox is important for mineral
production and mineral mobilization and is significant in certain conditions of deposition.
Generally, the color of the rock is the redox state of most minerals. In oxidizing conditions, the
rock shapes and renders it red. Then a green or occasionally white appears when a reducing liquid
flows through the rock. Reduced fluid can also accompany minerals containing uranium. The
uranium deposits and Moqui marbles are famous examples of redox reactions that influence
geological processes.You might be interested to learn more about oxidation as a major geological
event that shaped the Earth. Watch the video below. Credit: the European Geosciences Union
(EGU). Try to answer the quiz below and see what you have learned so far about
oxidation.QuizChoose the best answer. 1. Which of the following is an oxidation? Adding of an
oxygen atom to a compound Removal of an electron from a compound A gain of electrons2. A
substance that undergoes reduction in redox reactions Oxidizing agent Reducing agent Redox
agent3. Electron acceptor Oxidizing agent Reducing agent Redox agent4. Substance that
undergoes oxidation in a redox reaction Oxidizing agent Reducing agent Redox agent5. Electron
donor Oxidizing agent Reducing agent Redox agentSend Your Results (Optional)Your NameYour
NameTo EmailTo Email ReferencesDefinitions of Oxidation and Reduction. (2013, October 3).
Chemistry LibreTexts.
https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Analytical_Chemistry/Supplemental_Modules_(Analytica
l_Chemistry)/Electrochemistry/Redox_Chemistry/Definitions_of_Oxidation_and_ReductionMEL
Science. (2017, September 26). Biological oxidation: the essence of the process and its forms.
MEL Science; MEL Science. https://melscience.com/US-en/articles/biological-oxidation-essence-
process-and-its-forms/M. Hudlicky, “In Oxidations in Organic Chemistry,” ACS Monograph
Series 186; American Chemical Society Washington DC, 1990, 174. – References – Scientific
Research Publishing. (2011). Scirp.org.
https://www.scirp.org/(S(351jmbntvnsjt1aadkposzje))/reference/ReferencesPapers.aspx?
ReferenceID=143239Haustein, C., Lerner, K., & Lerner, B. (2014). Oxidation-reduction reaction.
The Gale Encyclopaedia of Science. 5th edition. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Group.Schmidt-Rohr,
K. (2018). How Batteries Store and Release Energy: Explaining Basic Electrochemistry. Journal
of Chemical Education, 95(10), 1801-1810.Oxidation-reduction reaction – Electrochemical
reactions | Britannica. (2020). In Encyclopædia Britannica.
https://www.britannica.com/science/oxidation-reduction-reaction/Electrochemical-
reactions#ref49293Definitions of oxidation and reduction (redox). (2013). Chemguide.co.uk.
http://www.chemguide.co.uk/inorganic/redox/definitions.html©BiologyOnline.com. Content
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