Hydrogen peroxide is a
chemical compound with the formula H
2O
2. In its pure form, it is a very pale blue,
[5] clear
liquid, slightly more
viscous than
water. Hydrogen peroxide is the simplest
peroxide (a compound with an oxygen–oxygen
single bond). It is used as an
oxidizer,
bleaching agent and
antiseptic. Concentrated hydrogen peroxide, or "
high-test peroxide", is a
reactive oxygen species and has been used as a
propellant in
rocketry.
[6] Its chemistry is dominated by the nature of its unstable
peroxide bond.
Hydrogen peroxide is unstable and slowly decomposes in the presence of light. Because of its instability, hydrogen peroxide is typically stored with a stabilizer in a weakly acidic solution. Hydrogen peroxide is found in biological systems including the human body. Enzymes that use or decompose hydrogen peroxide are classified as
peroxidases.
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