reductant
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: A chemical substance that causes the reduction of another substance by donating electrons or hydrogen atoms, while itself undergoing oxidation. In a redox reaction, it is the agent that is oxidized.
Examples of Usage
- In the reaction, iron acts as the reductant, reducing copper ions to solid copper metal.
- Sodium borohydride is a common laboratory reductant used in organic chemistry.
- The developer solution contains a reductant that converts exposed silver halide crystals to metallic silver.
Advanced Usage
- In Electrochemistry: The reductant (also called the reducing agent) is the species that loses electrons at the anode in a galvanic cell.
- Comparative Strength: A "strong reductant" has a high tendency to donate electrons (e.g., lithium metal), while a "weak reductant" has a lower tendency.
Variants and Related Words
- Reduce (verb): To cause to undergo reduction; to gain electrons or decrease in oxidation state.
- Reduction (noun): The process in which a substance gains electrons or decreases its oxidation state.
- Reducing Agent (noun): A synonymous term for reductant.
- Redox (adjective/noun): Short for reduction-oxidation, describing reactions where reduction and oxidation occur simultaneously.
Synonyms
- Reducing agent
- Electron donor
Antonyms
- Oxidant
- Oxidizing agent
- Electron acceptor
Noun
- a substance capable of bringing about the reduction of another substance as it itself is oxidized; used in photography to lessen the density of a negative or print by oxidizing some of the loose silver