Electron donor is a term used in chemistry to describe a substance that gives away electrons in a chemical reaction. The spelling of "electron donor" is based on the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) and is pronounced as /ɪˈlɛk.trɒn ˈdəʊ.nə/ in British English or /ɪˈlɛk.trɑn ˈdoʊ.nɚ/ in American English. The word "electron" is pronounced with stress on the first syllable and the second syllable is pronounced with a schwa sound. The word "donor" is pronounced with stress on the second syllable and the first syllable is pronounced with a short o sound.
An electron donor, in the field of chemistry and physics, refers to a substance or molecule that is capable of giving away or donating electrons to other atoms or molecules during a chemical reaction or process. These substances or molecules contain atoms that have excess electrons in their outermost shell, also known as the valence shell.
When an electron donor encounters an electron acceptor, which is a substance or molecule that can receive electrons, a transfer of electrons takes place. The electron donor releases one or more electrons from its outer shell, causing it to become positively charged. Meanwhile, the electron acceptor gains these donated electrons, resulting in a negative charge.
This transfer of electrons is a fundamental concept behind many chemical reactions and plays a significant role in various biological, chemical, and physical processes. Electron donors are commonly involved in redox reactions (reduction-oxidation reactions), where a substance is reduced by donating an electron and another substance is oxidized by accepting the electron.
Some examples of electron donors include metals like sodium and lithium, as well as certain organic compounds such as alcohols and amines. Additionally, substances like reducing agents and conjugate bases of acids can also act as electron donors.
The ability of a substance to act as an electron donor is crucial in understanding the reactivity and behavior of chemicals, as well as the functioning of biological systems.
The word "electron donor" is formed by combining the words "electron" and "donor".
The term "electron" originates from the Greek word "ēlektron", meaning "amber". The ancient Greeks discovered that when amber was rubbed against fur, it attracted lightweight objects. This phenomenon was later known as static electricity. In the late 19th century, after the discovery of subatomic particles, the term "electron" was coined by Sir Johnstone Stoney to describe the smallest unit of electricity.
The word "donor" is derived from the Latin word "dōnāre", meaning "to give". It entered the English language in the 15th century and was related to the act of freely giving or contributing something to another person or entity.
In the context of chemistry and physics, the term "electron donor" refers to a substance or molecule that provides or donates electrons during a chemical reaction or electrical process.