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Autoxidation

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Active Oxygen in Chemistry

Abstract

Gaseous oxygen, O2, is our most ubiquitous and available oxidizing agent. Through respiration, its reaction with organic molecules sustains life and, through combustion, provides most of our heat and energy. It reacts with many organic molecules at or near room temperature with surprising ease. This process, known as autoxidation, is of great practical importance. On the one hand, it provides the preferred route to a number of important commercial chemicals, for example, terephthalic acid, phenol, acetone, and aliphatic acids. On the other, its prevention is crucial in preserving a host of materials, including plastics, rubber, lubricating oil, and many foodstuffs. Finally, autoxidation is important in biological systems, and there is currently intense interest in its possible role in a number of pathological conditions on the part of medical biochemists.

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Authors
  1. Cheves Walling
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of California at Los Angeles, USA

    Christopher S. Foote  & Joan Selverstone Valentine  & 

  2. University of North Carolina at Charlotte, USA

    Arthur Greenberg

  3. University of Maryland Baltimore County, USA

    Joel F. Liebman

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© 1995 Chapman & Hall

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Walling, C. (1995). Autoxidation. In: Foote, C.S., Valentine, J.S., Greenberg, A., Liebman, J.F. (eds) Active Oxygen in Chemistry. Structure Energetics and Reactivity in Chemistry Series (SEARCH Series), vol 2. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0874-7_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0874-7_2

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-7514-0371-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-007-0874-7

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