can H2O2 be broken down by catalysts other than those found in living tissue?

Question

explain your answer and include sources

Answer 1

Hydorgen peroxide is unstable, will break down to water and oxygen without a catalyst..all by itself if exposed to light, air, enzymes, just about anything, and even if kept in the dark, in cold, will eventually return to H2o and O2 . 2 h2Os = 2 H2O + O2
I wouldn't call it living tissue, but Staph has catalyst called peroxidaze that tears peroxide up..much foaming.

Answer 2

The Merck Index says that finely divided metals and rough surfaces will cause the decomposition.

Platinum plating on screen mesh, silver mesh, brass will do it.

USAF's "jet pack" used such catalysts with 90% peroxide.

Peroxide and hydrazine are the typical propellants for torpedos and some rockets. Although hydrazine is a toxic carcinogen, the products of complete reaction are water and nitrogen, which are completely inert. To avoid the dispersion of unreacted hydrazine, the mixture would be adjusted to use some excess peroxide, since it is relatively harmless.

Hydrazine is a powerful reductant (opposite of an oxidant). No catalyst is therefore needed. The mixture of peroxide/hydrazine flashes violently into hot steam and nitrogen on contact.

Incidentally, torpedos have exploded when leaking peroxide spilled onto brass parts in the interior of the torpedo. A good design will handle the propellants more carefully, having fail-safe methods of dealing with the contigency of leaking peroxide.

I think maybe the Russian widowmaker, K19 sub got into trouble this way. Also an old British sub.

Answer 3

It doesn't even require a catalyst. H2O2 is a strong oxidizer & will react quite readily with most organics among other things.

Answer 4

Yes. Peroxide was used in German torpedoes during WWII. There are several catalysts that will do it, but I do not have specifics.

Answer 5

H2O2 can be catalysed by MnO2 (Manganese dioxide) and will rapidly liberate O2.