What catalysts can hydrogen peroxide be broken down with?

Answer 1

Catalase is the most ubiquitous enzyme that many living organisms have to break down hydrogen peroxide, which is toxic to many cells.

Answer 2

The most potent are iron, copper, magnesium, vanadium, in that order. Other metal ions of transition metals are also effective but not as much as these four.

These four metals also have very stable multiple oxidation states. For example, Fe+3 and Fe+2 are both stable. Which means it can easily go from one state to the other by gaining or losing an electron. Our blood, or hemoglobin, takes advantage of this. Hemoglobin readily binds with oxygen but also readily releases it when needed. Copper is used the same way in the blood of cephalopods (octopus, chambered nautilus, and some insects). Chorophyll has almost the same structure but has manganese as the central metal. Vanadium is used the same way in the blood of some species.

Bentnalboy is correct that catalase is a potent catalyst in cellular decomposition of peroxide. Catalase contains 4 porphyrin heme (iron) groups which allows it to react with the hydrogen peroxide.

Answer 3

We can speed up the reaction:

2H2O2 --> 2H2O + O2

with catalysts such as MnO2 and the enzyme catalase.

Answer 4

Catalysts don't break down anything.