DECOMPOSITION OF HYDROGEN PEROXIDE IN HOMOGENEOUS MIXTURES

The homegeneous decomposition of decinormal hydrogen peroxide in presence of a number of malts has been studied mostly at 35°. It is found that no cation is a catalyst unless it can exist in two states of oxidation. A. simple mechanism of decomposition involving activated hydrogen peroxide molecules (but no free radicals) has been suggested which explains the first order decomposition with respect to the peroxide and the lowering of the corresponding velocity constant at low concentrations.