On the Feasibility of the Use of the Concept of the Oxidation State of an Atom for the Selection of Stoichiometric Coefficients in Redox Reaction Equations

Abstract

The questions relating to the use of two alternative methods for the selection of stoichiometric coefficients in redox reaction (ROR) equations, namely, the electron balance method and the ion‒electron balance method, have been considered and discussed. It has been stated that, in the first of these methods, one should always determine the degree of oxidation of the chemical elements forming the ROR participants, which is a formal concept and often leads to ambiguous conclusions. By contrast, the second method deals with real chemical objects and is free from this shortcoming. A series of examples that illustrate the use of the ion‒electron balance method in inorganic and organic chemistry have been presented.