A completely new class of super-reactive chemical compounds has been discovered under atmospheric conditions. In close alliance with international partners, scientists from the University of Copenhagen have reported the formation of so-called trioxides. This extremely oxidized chemical compound probably affects our human health and the global climate.
Hydrogen peroxide is a widely known chemical compound. Because all peroxides possess two oxygen atoms fastened to each other, they are highly reactive and often flammable and explosive. They are employed for everything, from whitening the teeth to cleaning wounds and even rocket fuel. However, peroxides are also found in the air around us.
“This is what we have now accomplished,” tells Professor Henrik Grum Kjærgaard at Copenhagen’s Department of Chemistry. Kjærgaard is the elder author of the study that was publicized on May 26, 2022, in the prestigious journal- SCIENCE
“The type of compounds we discovered are unique in their structure. And, because they are extremely oxidizing, they most likely bring a host of effects that we have yet to uncover.” he added.
The experimenters have also demonstrated that hydrotrioxides are constituted during the atmospheric breakdown of several known and widely radiated substances, including isoprene and dimethyl sulfide.
“It’s quite significant that we can now show, through direct observation, that these compounds actually form in the atmosphere, that they are surprisingly stable and that they are formed from almost all chemical compounds. All speculation must now be put to rest,” announces Jing Chen, a Ph.D. student at the Department of Chemistry and the second author of the research.