Information About

Disproportionation




Disproportionation is a type of reaction in Redox Chemistry in which a Reactant is both oxidised and reduced in the same chemical reaction forming 2 separate compounds.

Examples:

The ionic equation for this reaction is as follows:

Cl2 + 6OH → Cl + ClO3 + 3H2O

In the above equation, the initial oxidation number of chlorine is 0.

In the products, Cl has an oxidation number of −1, having been reduced, whereas the oxidation number of chlorine in the Chlorate ion is +5, indicating that it has been oxidised. It should be noted that there is no change of oxidation state for the sodium hydroxide.

  • C4H4 reacts with itself to form C6H6 and C2H2.


2C4H4 → C6H6 + C2H2


Disproportionation is the opposite of Synproportionation .