General Method for Quantitation of Organic Hydroperoxides

The utility of peroxides in synthetic organic chemistry is tied to significant safety risks posed by their handling, storage, and disposal. Although guidelines exist, a lack of reliable methods for quantitation of low levels of these species has been a major impediment to establishing data-driven safety guidelines and protocols. This paper discloses a general and reliable liquid chromatography-ultraviolet (LC-UV)-based method for the detection of a wide range of commonly encountered organic hydroperoxides. The implications of this method for safety concerns around trace peroxides are also discussed, supported by modern thermochemical analysis.