Difference between revisions of "Reducer"

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A reducer, more commonly referred to as reducing agent or reductant. is an element or compound that loses (or "donates") an electron to another chemical species in a redox chemical reaction. Since the reducing agent is losing electrons, it is said to have been oxidized.

Mechanism

Reducing agents are called electron donors, and participate in electron-transfer reactions.

In organic chemistry, reduction more specifically refers to the addition of hydrogen to a molecule, process also referred to as hydrogenation.

Reducing agents

• Free elements: carbon, hydrogen, magnesium
• Metal hydrides: calcium hydride, lithium aluminium hydride, sodium borohydride
• Nonmetal hydrides: hydrazine, phosphine
• Acids: ascorbic acid, citric acid, formic acid, hydrogen sulfide, hydroiodic acid
• Salts: metabisulfites, sulfites, thiosulfates, salts of transition metals in low oxidation states (e.g. iron (II) sulfate)
• Sugars: fructose, glucose
• Oxides: carbon monoxide, nitric oxide, sulfur dioxide
• Alloys: Devarda's alloy, Raney nickel, Na-Pb
• Amalgams: Zn-Hg, Na-Hg, Al-Hg
• Miscellaneous: palladium on carbon

References

Relevant Sciencemadness threads

• Reduction with alkali metal and alcohol