disproportionation
▪ redox reaction: 2H2O2 → 2H2O + O2 - in which oxygen from hydrogen peroxide changes the degree of oxidation from -I to -II and 0; Cl2 + 2OH- → Cl- + ClO- + H2O - in which chlorine is simultaneously reduced to chloride ion and oxidized to hypochlorous ion; ▪ replacement of ligands: 2PSe → 2PSe + 2PSe - where the asymmetric H-selenophosphonate diester containing two different alcohol residues is converted into two symmetric esters; 22PO → 3P + RO-PO - where the H-phosphonate diester is converted to triester and monoester. In biochemistry, this reaction is called dysmutation. The enzymes that carry it are dysmutases, but other enzymes also carry disproportionate reactions. The opposite reaction to disproportionation is the composting or symmetry. Footnotes ...