Direct Colorimetric Detection of Hydrogen Peroxide Using 4-Nitrophenyl Boronic Acid or Its Pinacol Ester

A colorimetric method for the direct determination of hydrogen peroxide in aqueous solution is described. H2O2 stoichiometrically converts 4-nitrophenyl boronic acid or 4-nitrophenyl boronic acid pinacol ester into 4-nitrophenol, which can be quantified by measuring the absorption at 400 nm in neutral or basic media. The reactions proceed fast under basic conditions and complete in 2 minutes to at pH 11 and 80 ̊C. The linear range for the colorimetric method extends beyond 1.0 to 40 μM H2O2, and the limit of detection is ~1.0 μM H2O2. This method offers a convenient and practical process for rapid determination of hydrogen peroxide in aqueous media. Compared to many other techniques in H2O2 detection, this process is a direct measurement of H2O2, and is relatively unaffected by the presence of various salts, metal ions and the chelator EDTA.