Chemical reagent

Chemical reagent

2024-01-24

A chemical reagent or reactant is a substance or compound that is added to a system in order to cause a chemical reaction (a reactant) or is added to test the occurrence of a reaction. Although the terms reactant and reagent are often used interchangeably, a reactant is a substance that is consumed in the context of a chemical reaction. Solvents and catalysts are involved in the reaction, but they are not usually referred to as reactants because they do not change.
In organic chemistry, reagents are compounds or mixtures, usually composed of inorganic molecules or small organic molecules, that are used to influence the direction of a reaction to produce a particular product. Examples of organic reagents include Collins’ reagent, Fenton’s reagent, and Grignard’s reagent. There are also analytical reagents that are used to confirm the presence of another substance. Examples of these reagents are Fehling’s reagent, Mellon’s reagent, and Tollens’ reagent.
In another use of this term, when purchasing or preparing chemicals, a reagent indicates a chemical of sufficient purity to be used in chemical analysis, chemical reactions or physical testing. Standards for the purity of reagents have been established by organizations such as the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) International. For example, a quality aqueous reagent must have very low levels of impurities such as sodium and chloride ions, silica, and bacteria, in addition to having a very high electrical resistance.

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