Term: identity reaction
https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.I02940

Definition:
A chemical reaction whose products are chemically identical with the reactants, for example the bimolecular self exchange reaction of CH3I with I−.

Related Terms:
1) degenerate rearrangement (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.D01559).
2) bimolecular (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.M03989).

Source: PAC, 1994, 66, 1077. 'Glossary of terms used in physical organic chemistry (IUPAC Recommendations 1994)' on page 1124 (https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199466051077)

Citation: 'identity reaction' in IUPAC Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 5th ed. International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry; 2025. Online version 5.0.0, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.I02940

License: The IUPAC Gold Book is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike CC BY-SA 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) for individual terms.

Disclaimer: The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) is continuously reviewing and, where needed, updating terms in the Compendium of Chemical Terminology (the IUPAC Gold Book). Users of these terms are encouraged to include the version of a term with its use and to check regularly for updates to term definitions that you are using.