Electron transfer

Electron transfer (ET) occurs when an electron relocates from an atom or molecule to another such chemical entity. ET is a mechanistic description of certain kinds of redox reactions involving transfer of electrons. Electrochemical processes are ET reactions. ET reactions are relevant to photosynthesis and respiration and commonly involve transition metal complexes. In organic chemistry ET is a step in some commercial polymerization reactions. It is foundational to photoredox catalysis. Inner-sphere electron transfer In inner-sphere ET, the two redox centers are covalently linked during the ET. This bridge can be permanent, in which case the electron transfer event is termed intramolecular electron transfer. More commonly, however, the covalent linkage is transitory, forming just prior to the ET and then disconnecting following the ET event. In such cases, the electron transfer is termed intermolecular electron transfer. A famous example of an inner sphere ET process that proceeds via a transitory bridged intermediate is the reduction of [CoCl(NH3)5]2+ by [Cr(H2O)6]2+. In this case, the chloride ligand is the bridging ligand that covalently connects the redox partners. Outer-sphere electron transfer In outer-sphere ET reactions, the participating redox centers are not linked via any bridge during the ET event. Instead, the electron "hops" through space from the reducing center to the acceptor. Outer sphere electron transfer can occur between different chemical species or between identical chemical species that differ only in their oxidation state. The latter process is termed self-exchange. As an example, self-exchange describes the degenerate reaction between permanganate and its one-electron reduced relative manganate: [MnO4]− + [MnO4]2− → [MnO4]2− + [MnO4]− In general, if electron transfer is faster than ligand substitution, the reaction will follow the outer-sphere electron transfer. Often occurs when one/both reactants are inert or if there is no suitable bridging ligand.