Copper peroxide is an

inorganic compound In chemistry, an inorganic compound is typically a chemical compound that lacks carbon–hydrogen bonds, that is, a compound that is not an organic compound. The study of inorganic compounds is a subfield of chemistry known as '' inorganic chemis ...

with the formula CuO₂. It is an

oxide An oxide () is a chemical compound that contains at least one oxygen atom and one other element in its chemical formula. "Oxide" itself is the dianion of oxygen, an O2– (molecular) ion. with oxygen in the oxidation state of −2. Most of the E ...

copper(II) Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkish-or ...

, with the two oxygen atoms as a

peroxide In chemistry, peroxides are a group of compounds with the structure , where R = any element. The group in a peroxide is called the peroxide group or peroxo group. The nomenclature is somewhat variable. The most common peroxide is hydrogen p ...

unit. It appears as a dark

olive green Olive is a dark yellowish-green color, like that of unripe or green olives. As a color word in the English language, it appears in late Middle English. Shaded toward gray, it becomes olive drab. Variations Olivine Olivine is the typic ...

solid or similarly colored suspension and is unstable, decomposing to

dioxygen There are several known allotropes of oxygen. The most familiar is molecular oxygen (O2), present at significant levels in Earth's atmosphere and also known as dioxygen or triplet oxygen. Another is the highly reactive ozone (O3). Others are: * ...

and other

copper oxide Copper oxide is a compound from the two elements copper and oxygen. Copper oxide may refer to: * Copper(I) oxide (cuprous oxide, Cu2O) * Copper(II) oxide Copper(II) oxide or cupric oxide is an inorganic compound with the formula CuO. A black so ...

Preparation

Copper peroxide is prepared by the reaction of cold solutions of

Schweizer's reagent Schweizer's reagent is the metal ammine complex with the formula u(NH3)4(H2O)2OH)2. This deep-blue compound is used in purifying cellulose. It is prepared by precipitating copper(II) hydroxide from an aqueous solution of copper sulfate using so ...

—a source of copper(II)—and

hydrogen peroxide Hydrogen peroxide is a chemical compound with the formula . In its pure form, it is a very pale blue liquid that is slightly more viscous than water. It is used as an oxidizer, bleaching agent, and antiseptic, usually as a dilute solution (3 ...

, the former prepared from

copper(II) hydroxide Copper(II) hydroxide is the hydroxide of copper with the chemical formula of Cu(OH)2. It is a pale greenish blue or bluish green solid. Some forms of copper(II) hydroxide are sold as "stabilized" copper(II) hydroxide, although they likely consist ...

and dilute ammonia solution. The Schweizer's reagent used must not contain excess ammonia. Copper peroxide may also be produced by the reaction of an ice-cold solution of

with a suspension of

copper hydroxide Copper(II) hydroxide is the hydroxide of copper with the chemical formula of Cu(OH)2. It is a pale greenish blue or bluish green solid. Some forms of copper(II) hydroxide are sold as "stabilized" copper(II) hydroxide, although they likely consi ...

. It may also form from the very slow reaction of finely divided cupric oxide with cold hydrogen peroxide.

Properties

When wet, copper peroxide decomposes at temperatures above 6 °C; it "is far more stable when dry."

References

{{Copper compounds Peroxides Copper(II) compounds