Comparison of the catalysed decomposition of hydrogen peroxide over superconducting and insulating barium cuprates—kinetics of decomposition over Y2BaCuO5

Abstract

AbstractCatalytic activities of two non‐conducting cuprates (Ba2Cu3O5, Y2BaCuO5) and a superconducting cuprate YBa2Cu3O7–δ, prepared by two different methods, were compared using H2O2 solution. The two non‐conducting barium cuprates were found to be about two orders of magnitude more active than the superconducting perovskite‐like YBa2Cu3O7–δ. The near coincidence of the kinetic curves for the catalysed decomposition of H2O2 over YBa2Cu3O7–δ, prepared either from the perovskite‐like Ba2Cu3O5 and Y2O3 or from its components, proves that Ba2Cu3O5 is essential in the formation of YBa2Cu3O7–δ. First‐order kinetics were observed for the catalysed decomposition of H2O2 solution over the non‐perovskite Y2BaCuO5 at the initial stages of the reaction, similar to that of the superconducting perovskite catalyst. A tentative scheme of the possible catalytic reactions for the decomposition of H2O2 solution over the insulator Y2BaCuO5 is given.