Abstract
The generally accepted rules for assigning oxidation numbers lead to the
result that the oxidation number of the carbon atoms of a saturated pure
hydrocarbon molecule can vary by four units, from -3 to zero, as e.g. in
CH3CH2CH(CH3)C(CH3)3.
This violates Jørgensens Axiom 2 which states: If there is no
serious reason to do otherwise, identical oxidation numbers are ascribed
to atoms of the same element in a given compound. I propose to change
this uncomfortable situation without losing the very useful features of
oxidation numbers and without making the rules complicated. The carbon
group is so important that its non metals should be treated separately.
This can be expressed as follows: The oxidation number for hydrogen is 0
in combination with C, Si, Ge, and also B, it is +1 in combination with
non metals and -1 in combination with metals.
published in: J. Chem. Education 1999, 76, 362.
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