Definition and Usage:
Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is a pale blue compound that becomes colorless when diluted. The viscosity of hydrogen peroxide is higher than that of water.
Hydrogen peroxide is a chemical compound with the formula H2O2. In its pure form, it is a liquid with an odor slightly more viscous than water. Hydrogen peroxide is the simplest peroxide (a compound with an oxygen-oxygen single bond). It is used as an oxidizer, bleach, and disinfectant. Concentrated hydrogen peroxide, or "high-test peroxide", is a reactive oxygen species and has been used as a rocket propellant.[4]The nature of its chemistry is dominated by the unstable peroxide bond.
Hydrogen peroxide is unstable and decomposes slowly in the presence of a base or a catalyst. Due to its instability, hydrogen peroxide is typically stored in a weakly acidic solution with a stabilizer. Hydrogen peroxide is found in biological systems, including the human body. Enzymes that use or degrade hydrogen peroxide are classified as peroxidases.
The boiling point of H2O2 has been extrapolated to 150.2 °C, approximately 50 °C higher than that of water. In practice, hydrogen peroxide undergoes potentially explosive thermal decomposition when heated to this temperature. It can be safely distilled at low temperatures under reduced pressure.