Iron(II)

Iron(II) is iron in the +2 oxidation state, with a formal charge of 2+ in ionic compounds. Its chemistry differs from iron(III), especially in electron configuration and tendency to oxidize.

Iron: Iron is a chemical element with atomic number 26 and the symbol Fe. Iron(II) names one oxidation state of this element.
Hemoglobin: An oxygen-binding protein in red blood cells whose heme groups contain iron. Its heme iron binds oxygen while remaining in the ferrous state.
Iron atom: An atom of the element iron, containing 26 protons and, when neutral, 26 electrons. The neutral atom loses two electrons to form the iron(II) ion.
Ferrous and ferric: The traditional terms for iron in the +2 and +3 oxidation states, respectively. These names distinguish iron(II) from iron(III) in compounds and chemical descriptions.
Iron electron configuration: The distribution of electrons among atomic orbitals in an iron atom or ion. Removing two electrons from neutral iron produces the Fe²⁺ electron configuration.
Myoglobin: An oxygen-binding protein in muscle cells that stores and releases oxygen. Its heme group uses iron(II) to bind oxygen.
Cation: A positively charged ion formed when an atom or molecule loses electrons. Fe²⁺ is a cation with a charge of two positive units.
Iron(II) hydroxide: A greenish solid with the formula Fe(OH)₂ that readily oxidizes in air. Its color and air sensitivity contrast with many iron(III) hydroxides.
Oxidation state: A bookkeeping value that represents an atom's hypothetical charge after assigning bonding electrons by convention. Iron(II) is the +2 oxidation-state designation for iron.
Fenton reaction: A reaction in which iron(II) reacts with hydrogen peroxide to generate highly reactive hydroxyl radicals. It illustrates how Fe²⁺ can drive oxidative chemistry.

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