Redox and Disproportionation Reactions

Redox reactions involve the shifting of electrons between reacting particles.
In redox reactions, “Reduction” refers to the gaining of electrons, while “Oxidation” denotes the loss of electrons.
Oxidation states, indicated by a number, indicate the total number of electrons that an atom either loses or gains in order to form a chemical bond with another atom.
An increasing oxidation number signifies oxidation, while a reducing oxidation number signifies reduction.
The term “Redox” is derived from two words: reduction and oxidation. In every redox reaction, both reduction and oxidation occur simultaneously.
A substance which causes another substance to be oxidised is termed as an oxidising agent. It gains electrons and is therefore reduced.
Conversely, a substance causing another substance to be reduced is known as a reducing agent. It loses electrons and is thus oxidised.
Redox reactions are of several types: Combination, Decomposition, Displacement, and Disproportionation.
In Disproportionation reactions, the same element is both oxidised and reduced.
For a redox reaction to occur, the reactants must contain elements that have different electronegativities. The greater the difference in electronegativity, the greater the propensity for a redox reaction to occur.
In terms of half-reactions, a redox process can be broken down into two parts: an oxidation half-reaction (which shows the electrons lost by the reductant) and a reduction half-reaction (which shows the electrons gained by the oxidant).
Redox reactions play a crucial part in numerous chemical reactions in everyday life, including combustion, respiration, photosynthesis, and the function of batteries.