Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Autoxidation of Ethers to Peroxides and Hydroperoxides02:23

Autoxidation of Ethers to Peroxides and Hydroperoxides

Ethers represent a class of chemical compounds that become more dangerous with prolonged storage because they tend to form explosive peroxides when standing in the air. Autoxidation is the spontaneous oxidation of a compound in air. In the presence of oxygen, ethers slowly oxidize to form hydroperoxides and dialkyl peroxides.
Radical Formation: Elimination00:51

Radical Formation: Elimination

Another method of radical formation is the elimination process. It is the opposite of the addition route and is driven by the instability of the radical. For example, as depicted in Figure 1, dibenzoyl peroxide yields a pair of unstable radicals upon homolysis. Given its instability, this radical spontaneously undergoes elimination via a C–C bond cleavage to form a relatively more stable phenyl radical. The mechanism involves cleavage of the bond between the α and β positions with respect to...
Oxidative Cleavage of Alkenes: Ozonolysis01:46

Oxidative Cleavage of Alkenes: Ozonolysis

In ozonolysis, ozone is used to cleave a carbon–carbon double bond to form aldehydes and ketones, or carboxylic acids, depending on the work-up.
Ozone is a symmetrical bent molecule stabilized by a resonance structure.
Oxidation of Alkenes: Anti Dihydroxylation with Peroxy Acids02:04

Oxidation of Alkenes: Anti Dihydroxylation with Peroxy Acids

Diols are compounds with two hydroxyl groups. In addition to syn dihydroxylation, diols can also be synthesized through the process of anti dihydroxylation. The process involves treating an alkene with a peroxycarboxylic acid to form an epoxide. Epoxides are highly strained three-membered rings with oxygen and two carbons occupying the corners of an equilateral triangle. This step is followed by ring-opening of the epoxide in the presence of an aqueous acid to give a trans diol.
Radical Autoxidation01:20

Radical Autoxidation

The oxidation of an organic compound in the presence of air or oxygen is called autoxidation. For example, cumene reacts with oxygen to form hydroperoxide. Autoxidation involves initiation, propagation, and termination steps. Many organic compounds are susceptible to autoxidation—especially ethers in the presence of oxygen, which form hydroperoxides. Even though this reaction is slow, old ether bottles contain small amounts of peroxide, which leads to laboratory explosions during ether...
Regioselectivity of Electrophilic Additions-Peroxide Effect02:35

Regioselectivity of Electrophilic Additions-Peroxide Effect

In the presence of organic peroxides, the addition of hydrogen bromide to an alkene yields the isomer that is not predicted by Markovnikov’s rule. For example, the addition of hydrogen bromide to 2-methylpropene in the presence of peroxides gives 1-bromo-2-methylpropane. This addition reaction proceeds via a free radical mechanism, which reverses the regioselectivity. The free radical reaction mechanism involves three stages: initiation, propagation, and termination.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Fragmentation Resilience Energy Mass Spectrometry (FREMS): Methods Validation and Compound Differentiation.

Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)·2026
Same author

An assessment of bacterial contamination of indirect ophthalmoscopes and condensing lenses used in clinical practice: A multi-center study.

Veterinary ophthalmology·2023
Same author

Paper spray ionization-high-resolution mass spectrometry (PSI-HRMS) of peroxide explosives in biological matrices.

Analytical and bioanalytical chemistry·2021
Same author

<i>In vitro</i> metabolism of HMTD and blood stability and toxicity of peroxide explosives (TATP and HMTD) in canines and humans.

Xenobiotica; the fate of foreign compounds in biological systems·2021
Same author

Binge Drinking among Economically Disadvantaged African American Older Adults with Diabetes.

Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland)·2019
Same author

Long-Term Consequences of Foodborne Toxoplasmosis: Effects on the Unborn, the Immunocompromised, the Elderly, and the Immunocompetent <sup>†</sup>.

Journal of food protection·2019

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 20, 2026

Research and Development of High-performance Explosives
10:33

Research and Development of High-performance Explosives

Published on: February 20, 2016

Destruction of peroxide explosives.

Jimmie C Oxley1, James L Smith, Jiaorong Huang

  • 1Chemistry Department, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA. joxley@chm.uri.edu

Journal of Forensic Sciences
|September 10, 2009
PubMed
Summary

Chemists can safely degrade hazardous peroxide explosives like TATP using metal mixtures or strong acids. These chemical methods offer safer alternatives to physical removal for sensitive explosive materials.

More Related Videos

Laboratory Scale Slow Cook-Off Testing of Rocket Propellants: The Combustion Rate Analysis of a Slowly Heated Propellant (CRASH-P) Test
06:52

Laboratory Scale Slow Cook-Off Testing of Rocket Propellants: The Combustion Rate Analysis of a Slowly Heated Propellant (CRASH-P) Test

Published on: February 6, 2021

Nanothermite with Meringue-like Morphology: From Loose Powder to Ultra-porous Objects
07:46

Nanothermite with Meringue-like Morphology: From Loose Powder to Ultra-porous Objects

Published on: December 24, 2017

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 20, 2026

Research and Development of High-performance Explosives
10:33

Research and Development of High-performance Explosives

Published on: February 20, 2016

Laboratory Scale Slow Cook-Off Testing of Rocket Propellants: The Combustion Rate Analysis of a Slowly Heated Propellant (CRASH-P) Test
06:52

Laboratory Scale Slow Cook-Off Testing of Rocket Propellants: The Combustion Rate Analysis of a Slowly Heated Propellant (CRASH-P) Test

Published on: February 6, 2021

Nanothermite with Meringue-like Morphology: From Loose Powder to Ultra-porous Objects
07:46

Nanothermite with Meringue-like Morphology: From Loose Powder to Ultra-porous Objects

Published on: December 24, 2017

Area of Science:

  • Organic Chemistry
  • Explosives Science
  • Chemical Engineering

Background:

  • Peroxide-based explosives, including triacetone triperoxide (TATP), are highly unstable and sensitive to shock and heat.
  • Their straightforward synthesis using readily available materials makes them attractive for illicit use.
  • Physical methods for their disposal are extremely hazardous.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate safe and effective chemical degradation methods for peroxide explosives at room temperature.
  • To identify specific chemical agents capable of neutralizing TATP, diacetone diperoxide (DADP), and hexamethylene triperoxide diamine (HMTD).

Main Methods:

  • Testing various mixtures of metals (zinc, copper) and metal salts (zinc sulfate, copper chloride) for TATP degradation in solution.
  • Evaluating the efficacy of strong acids for the chemical destruction of solid peroxide explosives.
  • Assessing the safety and reaction kinetics of identified degradation methods.

Main Results:

  • Certain metal and metal salt mixtures effectively degraded TATP solutions within hours.
  • Strong acids demonstrated utility against solid peroxide materials.
  • Concentrated sulfuric acid induced detonation of TATP on a 1 g scale, highlighting safety concerns.

Conclusions:

  • Chemical degradation offers a safer alternative to physical removal of peroxide explosives.
  • Metal-based mixtures are effective for TATP solutions, while strong acids require caution for solid materials.
  • Further research is needed to optimize safe and scalable chemical neutralization techniques for explosive materials.