Isothermal decomposition of hydrogen peroxide dihydrate

We present a new method of growing pure solid hydrogen peroxide in an ultra high vacuum environment and apply it to determine thermal stability of the dihydrate compound that forms when water and hydrogen peroxide are mixed at low temperatures. Using infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis, we quantified the isothermal decomposition of the metastable dihydrate at 151.6 K. This decomposition occurs by fractional distillation through the preferential sublimation of water, which leads to the formation of pure hydrogen peroxide. The results imply that in an astronomical environment where condensed mixtures of H ₂O ₂ and H ₂O are shielded from radiolytic decomposition and warmed to temperatures where sublimation is significant, highly concentrated or even pure hydrogen peroxide may form.