What are the pharmaceutical applications of oxidizing and reducing agents?

Simply put, an oxidising agent is a substance that looks to remove electrons from the substance it is reacting with (i.e oxidise it/increase its oxidation state). A reducing agent by contrast looks to add electrons to its reactant (i.e reduce it/reduce its oxidation state). In each case, the opposite occurs to the agent itself (an oxidising agent is reduced and gains one or more electrons, a reducing agent is oxidised and loses one or more electrons).

By observing the following emf series one can identify the oxidizing and reducing agents.

Hydrogen peroxide, H2O2 In this molecule the oxidation number for oxygen is –1. This is halfway between O2(0) and H2O(–2), and so hydrogen peroxide can either be reduced or oxidized. When it is reduced, it acts as an oxidizing agent:

H2O2 + 2H+ + 2e– → 2H2O

When it is oxidized, it serves as a reducing agent:

H2O2 → O2 + 2H+ + 2e–

Hydrogen peroxide is considerably stronger as an oxidizing agent than as a reducing agent, especially in acidic solutions.

N20

H202

Pyridinium chlorochromate

Tollen ,Fehling,schiff

It depends on the oxidation state of the concerned nonmetal that gives the acid its distinct identity.

Hydracids like hydrobromic acid (HBr), hydroiodic acid (HI) and hydrosulphuric acid (H2S) are powerful reducing agents. Hydrochloric acid (HCl) is only a mild reducing agent. In these acids, the concerned nonmetals ( Cl, Br, I and S) are in the lowest possible (negative) oxidation states of -1 -1, -1 and -2 respectively.

When an oxoacid has its central nonmetal in its highest possible oxidation state, it acts only as an oxidising agent. Common examples are nitric acid (HNO3), sulphuric acid (conc.H2SO4) and perchloric acid (HClO4) and the oxidation numbers of nitrogen, sulphur and chlorine in these acids are +5, +6 and +7 respectively. Nitric acid is a powerful oxidising agent both in its dilute and concentrated versions, but dilute sulphuric acid is mostly non-oxidising. Phosphoric acid (H3PO4) also acts as an oxidising agent at very high temperatures.

Nitrous acid (HNO2) can act both as an oxidising agent and as a reducing agent, depending on the nature of the substance it encounters. In this oxyacid, nitrogen is in the intermediate state of +3, and so it can be reduced or oxidised, as the situation demands.

But, some oxocids like sulphurous acid (H2SO3), phosphorous acid (H3PO3) and hypophosphorous acid (H3PO2) are fairly strong reducing agents. In these acids, the central nonmetals, sulphur and phosphorus, are in the lower oxidation states of +4, +3 and +1 respectively. Sulphurous acid can also act as an oxidising agent when pitted against powerful reducing agents like hydrogen sulphide.

Among organic acids, formic acid (HCOOH) and oxalic acid (HOOC-COOH) have fairly strong reducing property under certain conditions.

Both, as any other material, depending against which other agent it works.

HCl (Cl^-) can be oxidized to chlorine gas (Deacon reaction) using a stronger oxidizing agent than HCl (TiO2).

HCl (H^+) can be reduced to hydrogen gas via a weaker oxidizing agent than HCl (stronger reducing agent) such as Zn.

There is no ultimate oxidizing agent or reducing agent. You can always find a stronger oxidizing agent (or combination thereof) or conditions to oxidize another agent. The same with reducing agents.

In chemistry, an oxidizing agent is a substance that has the ability to oxidize other substances — in other words to cause them to lose electrons. Common oxidizing agents are oxygen, hydrogen peroxide and the halogens

Oxidizing Agents. ABNO · Acetone · Acrylonitrile · Ammonium cerium (IV) nitrate · Ammonium peroxydisulfate · 2- Azaadamantane N-oxyl

An oxidizing agent is a substance that has ability to oxidize other substances and reduces own substances is called Oxidizing agent.

A Reducing agent is a substance that has ability to reduce other substances and oxidize own substances is called Reducing Agent