text: Outer sphere electron transfer can occur between chemical species that are identical except for their oxidation state. This process is termed self-exchange.  An example is the degenerate reaction between the tetrahedral ions permanganate and manganate:
  :[MnO] + [Mn*O] → [MnO] + [Mn*O]
  For octahedral metal complexes, the rate constant for self-exchange reactions correlates with changes in the population of the e orbitals, the population of which most strongly affects the length of metal-ligand bonds:
  *For the [Co(bipy)]/[Co(bipy)] pair, self exchange proceeds at 10 Ms.  In this case, the electron configuration changes from Co(I): (t)(e) to Co(II): (t)(e).
  *For the [Co(bipy)]/[Co(bipy)] pair, self exchange proceeds at 18 Ms. In this case, the electron configuration changes from Co(II): (t)(e) to Co(III): (t)(e).