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Definition
The redox potential is a measure of the thermodynamic driving force for a species to either donate electrons (be oxidized) or accept electrons (be reduced) in aqueous chemical reactions.
Overview
With origins in electrochemistry, the concept of redox potential is also widely employed in describing and understanding the energetics of electron transfer chemistry in biological and geochemical systems. While defined in the strict chemical sense in reference to a single species or reaction, redox potential is also sometimes considered in both biology and geochemistry as a property of an overall system (e.g., an assemblage of microorganisms or minerals) that influences reactions and processes occurring within the system. Significant differences exist in the terminology and measures used to describe redox potential in the geochemical and biological sciences, but all relate fundamentally to the direction of, and thermodynamic driving force for,...
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References and Further Reading
Atkins PW (1990) Physical chemistry, 4th edn. WH Freeman, New York, see Chapter 10, “Equilibrium electrochemistry”
Madigan MT, Martinko JM, Parker J (2000) Brock biology of microorganisms, 9th edn. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, see Section 4.6, “Oxidation-reduction”
Stumm W, Morgan JJ (1996) Aquatic chemistry: chemical equilibria and rates in natural waters, 3rd edn. Wiley-Interscience, New York, see Chapter 8, “Oxidation and reduction; equilibria and microbial mediation”
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Hoehler, T.M. (2015). Redox Potential. In: Gargaud, M., et al. Encyclopedia of Astrobiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-44185-5_1356
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-44185-5_1356
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