The Electron Transfer Reactions of Nickel in an Aqueous Solution of CuCl2

Nickel’s Electron Transfer Reactions with CuCl2 in an Aqueous Solution

It is possible to examine the electron transfer reactions that occur in nickel when it is placed in an aqueous solution CuCl2. This allows us to better understand metal oxidation. A piece of Nickel is subject to oxidation or reduction when it’s placed in CuCl2 aqueous solution. Nickel is reduced which means it loses electrons. Cu2+ on the other hand is oxidized meaning it gains electrons. (Kumar and al., 2019, Kumar et. al. Nickel will lose electrons, which means that it can reduce Cu2+. This type of reaction is known as the redox reaction (González-García et al., 2008). Here are some examples of the reduction and oxidation reactions in Nickel when given CuCl2 as an aqueous solution. Nickel loses two electrons, and it is then oxidized into Ni2+. Cu2+ ions lose two electrons, and they are reduced to copper metal. You can express this reaction as: 2Ni + CuCl2 (aq). 2Ni2+ (aq) + Cu (s) + 2Cl- (aq) (Kumar et al., 2019). CuCl2 solution concentration determines the amount of oxidation or reduction. Concentrations of CuCl2 solutions are important because they transfer more electrons and cause greater oxidation/reduction of nickel. Temperature is also a factor in the rate of reaction. Higher temperatures will speed up the reaction rate while lower temperatures will slow it down (González-García et al., 2018).