Oxidation of elemental mercury by hydroperoxides in aqueous solution

Abstract

The recent development of techniques in this and other laboratories has allowed the exploration of elemental mercury oxidations by compounds bearing the —O—O—H moiety. The peracid group appears to be a far more effective oxidant of mercury than the peroxide group, and both peracetic acid and m-chloroperbenzoic acid oxidize mercury at the trace level to both mercurous and mercuric forms.