Redutseerija

Redutseerija, or reducing agent, is a substance that donates electrons to another species in a redox reaction. In the process, the reducing agent is oxidized while the recipient is reduced. Reducing agents are paired with oxidizing agents, which accept electrons, and together they drive electron transfer in chemical processes.

Common examples of redutseerija include molecular hydrogen (H2), carbon monoxide (CO), and active metals such as zinc and iron. In organic chemistry, reducing agents include hydride donors such as sodium borohydride (NaBH4) and lithium aluminium hydride (LiAlH4). In biology, reductants like NADH and NADPH provide electrons for various metabolic reactions. The strength of a reducing agent is typically discussed in terms of its standard oxidation potential: a more negative standard reduction potential for the corresponding reduction half-reaction indicates a stronger reducing agent, meaning it more readily donates electrons to another species.

In practice, predicting whether a redutseerija will reduce a given species involves comparing redox potentials. Reactions proceed spontaneously when electrons flow from the reducing agent (the donor) to a species with a higher tendency to be reduced. Redutseerija play a central role across fields, including metal refining and electroplating, organic synthesis, and biochemistry, where they power biosynthetic pathways and energy metabolism. In electrochemistry and batteries, the reducing agent is typically the species that undergoes oxidation at the anode, a factor used to design systems with desired redox behavior.