In chemistry, oxidizing agent has two meanings. In one sense, an oxidizing agent is a chemical species that removes an electron from another species. It is one component in an oxidation-reduction (redox) reaction. In the second sense, an oxidizing agent or an oxidizer is a chemical species that transfers electronegative atoms, usually oxygen, to a substrate. Combustion, many explosives, and organic redox reactions involve atom-transfer reactions.
Electron acceptors participate in electron-transfer reactions. In this context, the oxidizing agent is called an electron acceptor and the reducing agent is called an electron donor. A classic oxidising agent is the ferrocenium ion [Fe(C5H5)2]+, which accepts an electron to form Fe(C5H5)2.
Extensive tabulations of ranking the electron accepting properties of various reagents (redox potentials) are available, see Standard electrode potential (data page).
Of great interest to chemists are the details of the electron transfer event, which can be described as inner sphere or outer sphere.
The heir is introduced
She waltzes through her ballroom
Swirling in her sequins, showing off her gown
She steps on her own train
She falls, she cracks her jaw
Aghast her husband giggles
He gasps
She slipped on spilled champaigne
Chorus:
And we crowd around the accident
We want to see the worst
We crowd around the accident
We want to see what hurts
They're leaning in the corner
He's buried in a baggie
They say he's mischevious sometimes
She's pretty, and her elbows are so pointy
They're dangerous talking in the locker room
His nose bleeds so profusely
But no one tell him he's the star
They watch like at the movies that he's famous for
CHORUS
Two stories about to fall
Boasting at the swing set, marching down the hall
She yelled, 'cause he upset her desk
Don't yell
He's picking sides, he's hitching rides to school
His father left in winter
He's no one's son
If I can poke her with a pencil, I can pop her with a gun
CHORUS
We think...
I'm glad it wasn't me
And turn up the TV
And squeeze our eyes shut, but leave a space to see