Does hydrogen peroxide emit oxygen upon application to skin?

Answer 1

Part of everything that is above is true.
Peroxide spontaneously releases some of the oxygen without enzymes.
Many tissue cells and blood cells have catalase.
Some bacteria like Staphylococcus produce catalase (resistant or not).
Free radicals of oxygen destroy many living cells including bacteria.
You will note that H2O2 foams in the presence of blood, but it foams dramatically more in the presence of Staphylococcus Aureus a common skin infection bacteria.

Answer 2

The structure of hydrogen peroxide looks like this:
H-O-O-H
where H is a hydrogen atom, and O is an oxygen atom.

If you have two of these, it will go like this:

H-O-O-H
H-O-O-H

breaking down into:

H-O-H
O
H-O-H
O

then the Os will recombine, leading to:

H-O-H
O-O
H-O-H

Now you have two water molecules, and one molecule of gaseous oxygen.

However, individual oxygen atoms are highly reactive. If there's something nearby (like bacteria or skin) during the second phase of that reaction, it's likely that some of the lone oxygen atoms will react with it, snatching electrons and altering chemical compound. This generally has a lethal effect on bacteria, which is why hydrogen peroxide is a good antiseptic.

Answer 3

Hydrogen peroxide is an unusual chemical in that it decomposes into radicals. Normally when chemical reactions occur, electrons move in pairs; with a radical, there is an unpaired electron. Because electrons "like" to be in pairs, the radicals are very reactive (and are therefore good antiseptics, since living organisms fare poorly when their chemicals are uncontrollably modified). Blood and light are catalysts.

Answer 4

No, the peroxide (-O-O-) group with nominal -1 valance is reduced to a nominal -2 oxygen in H2O, while something is oxidized.

Answer 5

No - when you see bubbling it's becuase the bacteria are resistant to H2O2 and are using an enzyme to convert it into hydrogen and oxygen gas

Answer 6

yes...on our skin, we have enzyme called catalase..
this enzyme will hydrolyse hydrogen peroxide into friendly water and oxygen