Rates and Mechanism of Decomposition of Hydrogen Peroxide by Copper(II)-Amines Complexes

The decomposition of hydrogen peroxide by copper-amines complexes was studied in the pH range of 7.3∼11.3 by measuring the rate of the decreasing concentration of . Decomposition rate of hydrogen peroxide increased with increasing pH, and then decreased with increasing pH successively. The mechanism for this type of reaction involves the formation of peroxo complexes in the rate-determining step preceding deprotonation of hydrogen peroxide and copper-amines complexes.