The chemistry of hydrogen peroxide has important biological roles as well as industrial applications.  Many of its reactions involve nucleophilic attack at a reducing center followed by a redox step.  While H2O2 reactivity has been well studied in bulk solvents, its reaction in nanodroplets of water is unknown.  Our studies have been carried out in reverse micelles (RMs) composed of NaAOT dissolved in isooctane.  We have studied the its reaction with an organic dye (Crystal Violet) as well as with an iron(II) center using rapid scanning stopped-flow spectroscopy.  Pseudo first-order conditions, excess peroxide, were implemented throughout.  The reaction with the dye was first order with respect to both the dye and hydrogen peroxide for both aqueous and RMs.  Its reactivity in bulk water was somewhat slower than in a wo 30 reverse micelle.  Likewise, we have studied the reaction of hydrogen peroxide with [Fe(CN)5(OH2)]3- in water and RMs and the reactivity trends are significantly different.

Redox chemistry of hydrogen peroxide in nanodroplets of water

246th National Meeting (2013)

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