What is Peroxydisulfuric Acid?
Peroxydisulfuric Acid is a colourless solid and one of the most powerful peroxyacid oxidants available. Peroxydisulfuric Acid is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula H2S2O8. It can be generated from potassium or ammonium persulfate in acidic solution. It is an anhydride of sulphuric and peroxydisulfuric acid and may be prepared by oxidation of oleum with ozone or hydrogen peroxide. Also called Marshall’s acid, peroxydisulfuric acid can be produced by electrolyzing an aqueous solution containing sulfate ions in an electrolysis reactor should be produced by electrolyzing.
Other names – persulfuric acid, sulfo oxy hydrogen sulfate
| H2S2O8 | Peroxydisulfuric Acid |
| pH | 6 |
| Molecular Weight/ Molar Mass | 194.14 g/mol |
| Conjugate base | Peroxydisulfate |
| Melting Point | 65 °C |
| Chemical Formula | H2S2O8 |
Peroxydisulfuric Acid Structure – H2S2O8
Physical Properties of Peroxydisulfuric Acid – H2S2O8
| Odour | Odourless |
| Appearance | Colourless solid |
| Covalently-Bonded Unit | 1 |
| Heavy Atom Count | 10 |
| Hydrogen Bond Acceptor | 8 |
| Solubility | Soluble in water |
Chemical Properties of Peroxydisulfuric Acid – H2S2O8
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- Peroxydisulfuric Acid dissolves in water forms hydrogen peroxide and sulphuric acid. The chemical equation is given below.
H2S2O8 + 2H2O → H2O2 + 2H2SO4
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- Peroxydisulfuric Acid reacts with silver nitrate in aqueous medium forms silver oxide, sulphuric acid and nitric acid.
H2S2O8 + 2AgNO3 + 2H2O → Ag2O2 + 2H2SO4 + 2HNO3
Uses of Peroxydisulfuric Acid – H2S2O8
- Use of peroxydisulfuric acid and its salts as a source of hydrogen peroxide opened the way for large-scale production of sulphuric acid.
- Used as a hypo eliminator in photography.
- Used as a strong oxidant but the quantity of the oxidizing agent used can be varied in accordance to the desired reaction rate.
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