peroxide, any of a class of chemical compounds in which two oxygen atoms are linked together by a single covalent bond. Several organic and inorganic peroxides are useful as bleaching agents, as initiators of polymerization reactions, and in the preparation of hydrogen peroxide (q.v.) and other oxygen compounds. The negatively charged peroxide ion (O22-) is present in inorganic compounds that may be regarded as salts of the very weak acid hydrogen peroxide; examples are sodium peroxide (Na2O2), a bleaching agent, and barium peroxide (BaO2), formerly used as a source of hydrogen peroxide.
Two categories of peroxides exist in which one or both of the oxygen atoms are covalently linked to atoms other than hydrogen. One category is represented by cumene hydroperoxide, an organic compound used as a polymerization initiator and as a source of phenol and acetone, and peroxysulfuric acid, an inorganic compound used as an oxidizing agent. The other category includes di-tert-butyl peroxide and ammonium peroxydisulfate, both used as initiators.