Electron transfer (ET) occurs when an electron relocates from an atom or molecule to another such chemical entity. ET is a mechanistic description of certain kinds of redox reactions involving transfer of electrons.[2]
Electrochemical processes are ET reactions. ET reactions are relevant to photosynthesis and respiration and commonly involve transition metal complexes.[3][4] In organic chemistry ET is a step in some commercial polymerization reactions. It is foundational to photoredox catalysis.