= Electron acceptor
{wiki}
An <electron acceptor> receives electron density or electrons in a specified interaction. In <redox> chemistry, it is reduced when it accepts electrons, and the electron donor is oxidized.
For example, oxygen is the terminal electron acceptor of an aerobic <mitochondrial respiratory chain>, ultimately being reduced to water. In a Lewis acid-base interaction, electron-pair acceptance can instead form a bond without a net redox change. Stating the process distinguishes formal electron transfer from donation into an acceptor orbital.
Back to article page
