Oxidation and reduction are complementary electron-transfer processes that underpin redox chemistry and many biological and industrial transformations. Oxidation is defined as the loss of electrons, an increase in oxidation state, or, in many covalent systems, gain of electronegative substituents (e.g., oxygen) or loss of electropositive ones (e.g., hydrogen). Reduction is the gain of electrons, a decrease in oxidation state, or the converse change in bonding pattern. In any redox reaction, electrons are conserved and transferred from a reductant (electron donor) to an oxidant (electron acceptor), often mediated by redox couples, half-reactions, and characterized quantitatively by standard reduction potentials.
Graphene has drawn attention as a scientific curiosity owing to its record conductivities, strength and thermal properties. But now, it's starting to make its way into a number of real-world applications, from batteries to ...
Catalysts are the invisible engines of hydrogen energy, governing both hydrogen production and electricity generation. Conventional catalysts are typically fabricated in granular particle form, which is easy to synthesize ...
Nanomaterials
Jan 23, 2026
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By resurrecting a 3.2-billion-year-old enzyme and studying it inside living microbes, researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison have created a new way to improve our understanding of the origins of life on Earth ...
Astrobiology
Jan 22, 2026
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CO2 reduction to storable fuels or valuable chemical products provides a carbon-neutral cycle that can mitigate the rapid consumption of fossil fuels and increasing CO2 emissions. Although solar-driven CO2 reduction holds ...
Nanomaterials
Jan 20, 2026
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Gold nanorods are promising photocatalysts that can use light energy to drive chemical reactions—such as converting CO₂ into usable fuels or producing hydrogen from water. In this process, the nanorods act like tiny antennas ...
Nanophysics
Jan 15, 2026
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Hydroperoxides are strong oxidants that have a significant influence on chemical processes in the atmosphere. Now, an international research team involving the Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS) has shown ...
Earth Sciences
Jan 9, 2026
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107
For the first time, researchers have been able to show how a cell closes the door to free radicals—small oxygen molecules that are sometimes needed, but that can also damage our cells. The study is published in Nature Communications ...
Cell & Microbiology
Dec 22, 2025
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Proteomics International Laboratories Ltd. and the University of Western Australia have published results in the journal Animals providing critical insight into the relationship between oxidative stress and race performance.
Veterinary medicine
Dec 17, 2025
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EPFL scientists have identified a molecular pathway that protects cells from lipid oxidation and ferroptosis, a regulated form of cell death involved in aging and several diseases.
Cell & Microbiology
Dec 16, 2025
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There is a dire need for selective catalysts that allow us to consistently achieve a desired outcome in a chemical reaction. It is this consistency that allows for more efficient, energy-saving ways of producing fuel. A team ...
Nanomaterials
Dec 11, 2025
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