Zinc dioxide nanoparticulates: A hydrogen peroxide source at moderate pH

Yitzhak Wolanov*, Petr V. Prikhodchenko, Alexander G. Medvedev, Rami Pedahzur, Ovadia Lev

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

81 Scopus citations

Abstract

Solid peroxides are a convenient source of hydrogen peroxide, which once released can be readily converted to active oxygen species or to dissolved dioxygen. A zinc peroxide nanodispersion was synthesized and characterized, and its solubility was determined as a function of pH and temperature. We show that zinc peroxide is much more stable in aqueous solutions compared to calcium and magnesium peroxides and that it retains its peroxide content down to pH 6. At low pH conditions H2O2 release is thermodynamically controlled and its dissolution product, Zn2+, is highly soluble, and thus, hydrogen peroxide release can be highly predictable. The Gibbs free energy of formation of zinc peroxide was found to be -242.0 ± 0.4 kJ/mol and the enthalpy of formation was -292.1 ± 0.7 kJ/mol, substantially higher than theoretically predicted before. The biocidal activity of zinc peroxide was determined by inactivation studies with Escherichia coli cultures, and the activity trend agrees well with the thermodynamic predictions.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)8769-8774
Number of pages6
JournalEnvironmental Science and Technology
Volume47
Issue number15
DOIs
StatePublished - 6 Aug 2013

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