H2O2

hydrogen peroxide · perhydrol, dihydrogen dioxide

Hydrogen peroxide is a reactive, metastable liquid compound frequently used as a strong oxidizing agent, disinfectant, and bleaching agent.

HO
Crystal structure of H2O2
Ground-state structure · Materials Project
Overview

About hydrogen peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide is a simple yet highly reactive molecular compound characterized by its insulating electronic structure. As a metastable substance, it readily undergoes decomposition, which underpins its effectiveness as a potent chemical oxidant and bleaching agent.

Due to its unique chemical properties, this compound is extensively employed across diverse sectors, ranging from large-scale industrial synthesis and environmental remediation to household sanitization and medical disinfection protocols.

At a glance

Key Properties

Cross-validated computational properties for hydrogen peroxide, aggregated across 4 databases.

Band Gap

4.15–4.49 eV
Range across DFT structures

Energy Above Hull

0.086 eV/atom
Best (lowest) across sources

Stability

Metastable
2 DFT sources

Structures

415
4 databases, 48 space groups
Synthesis

Synthesis Routes

Literature-extracted synthesis procedures targeting H2O2.

Sol Gel
Procedure available · ceder_sol_gel
Sol Gel
Procedure available · ceder_sol_gel
Sol Gel
Procedure available · ceder_sol_gel
Sol Gel
Procedure available · ceder_sol_gel
Sol Gel
Procedure available · ceder_sol_gel
Sol Gel
Procedure available · ceder_sol_gel
Uses

Applications

Where hydrogen peroxide is used.

Chemical synthesisWater treatmentAntiseptic and disinfectantPropellant for rocketryPaper and textile bleaching
Intellectual Property

Patent Landscape

9 patents reference H2O2 or close compositional variants.

PatentTitleAssigneeGranted
6991772H2O2 decomposition catalyst
9608276Nanostructured PtxMy catalyst for PEMFC cells having a high activity and a moderate H2O2 production
11179077Apparatus for in-vivo measuring of H2O2 oxidation
10508032Catalysts and related methods for photocatalytic production of H2O2 and thermocatalytic reactant oxidation
6168775Catalyst and process for direct catalystic production of hydrogen peroxide, (H2O2)
10807868Catalysts and related methods for photocatalytic production of H2O2 and thermocatalytic reactant oxidation
10550021System and method to control H2O2 level in advanced oxidation processes
5077047Process for producing PVP-H2O2 products in the form of free-flowing powders
6660289Disinfecting composition based on H2O2, acids and metal ions
Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about hydrogen peroxide, answered from cross-validated data.

What is H2O2?

Hydrogen peroxide is a reactive, metastable liquid compound frequently used as a strong oxidizing agent, disinfectant, and bleaching agent.

More questions
What is H2O2 used for?
hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is used in chemical synthesis, water treatment, antiseptic and disinfectant, propellant for rocketry, and paper and textile bleaching.
What is the band gap of H2O2?
hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) has a DFT-computed band gap of 4.15–4.49 eV across 415 reported structures.
Is H2O2 a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
With a wide band gap up to 4.49 eV it is an insulator / wide-band-gap material.
Is H2O2 thermodynamically stable?
hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) has a lowest energy above hull of 0.086 eV/atom (metastable).
How many polymorphs of H2O2 are known?
415 structures of H2O2 are reported across 4 databases, spanning 48 distinct space groups.
How is H2O2 synthesized?
Literature-reported routes for H2O2 include sol gel (10 procedures documented).
What elements does H2O2 contain?
hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) contains H and O (2 elements).
Where does the data for H2O2 come from?
H2O2 data is cross-referenced from latticegraph.
Comparison

How It Compares

As a fundamental molecular species, hydrogen peroxide serves as a benchmark for peroxide chemistry, representing a highly versatile and reactive building block in chemical synthesis compared to more stable oxygen-containing compounds.

Data sources & attribution
  • latticegraph — Lattice Graph Materials Intelligence Platform

Analyze H2O2 in the Lattice Graph platform

Polymorph comparison, confidence scoring, supply-chain risk, and patent monitoring — across 53 integrated data sources.

Explore the Platform →