Redox reaction often known as oxidation-reduction redox reaction involves two processes like oxidation and reduction. Oxidation is a process which witnesses the gain of the electron in the reaction. The oxidising agent in the chemical reaction is responsible for making the reactants lose the electron.
The oxidising agent is defined as the component which has the ability to oxidize other substances or the component which has the ability to cause loss of electrons. Oxidising agent is also known as oxidants or oxidizers. Example: Combustion is the commonly known oxidation reaction.
Generally, known Oxidising agents are oxygen, halogens, and hydrogen peroxide.
Oxidizing agents generally feature the highest possible oxidation states and hence, they have the ability to gain electrons and undergo reduction. Some common examples of oxidizing agents include chlorine, fluorine, potassium nitrate, nitric acid, and halogens.
Uses Of Oxidising Agent
Some of the uses of oxidizing agents are:
- Vulcanization of rubber
- Bleaching of fabrics.
- Combustion of fuel
- Photosynthesis
- Purification of water
- Energy storage in batteries
Elemental fluorine is known as the strongest elemental oxidizing agent.
Since fluorine is the most electronegative element in the modern periodic table it applies the powerful attractional force on electrons amongst all the elements.
Now let us look into a special type of elements that belong in d-block of the periodic table, known as transition elements.
What Are Transition Element?
Transition elements is mostly metals which are malleable and ductile. They have the capacity to conduct heat and electricity and are positive in nature.
The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) has defined transition element as an element whose atom is partly filled d sub-shell, or element which has the potential to generate cations with an incomplete D sub-shell. In general, any element which corresponds to the d-block of the modern periodic table and is composed of groups 3 to 12, is considered to be a transition element. Transition metals include the f-block elements comprising of the lanthanides and the actinides.
All of the actinides are radioactive and the actinides having Z=92 and above are manufactured in accelerators or nuclear reactors.
Some of the properties exhibited by the transition elements are
- They usually form coloured compounds.
- They have many oxidation states.
- less reactive than alkali metals
- They are usually high melting point metals.
- They are paramagnetic in nature.
Many catalysts for industrial reactions involve transition elements. To name some popular transition elements it includes copper, titanium, iron, and silver. Iron is the most abundant transition element found in nature.
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