[combatwombat]

Does anyone know what makes a compound a good oxidizer in a battery? I know zinc is commonly used, but I don't know why.

I am curious as to whether it is possible for an organic compound to react with an oxidizer in a battery (and thus serve as a source of electrons).

I know this question may be a little "out there" for this forum - any input would be appreciated

[Borek]

Zinc is a reductor, not an oxidizer.

[combatwombat]

Sorry for the poorly-formed question, I have not taken inorganic chemistry in years. Forget the part about zinc - I'm just curious about oxidising electrodes in general. Is their effectiveness proportional to how well they conduct electricity? Or how reactive they are with the substance to be oxidized? Is it possible for a protein to be an oxidising electrode?