Metal peroxide can be used as oxygen regeneration agent in spacecraft or submarine, such as sodium peroxide (Na2O2)react with CO2 exhaled by human to generate oxygen at room temperature, the reaction is: 2Na2O2 +2 CO2 = 2Na2CO3 + O2.
Metal peroxides can be regarded as the two hydrogen atoms in hydrogen peroxide were replaced by metal atoms, alkali metal, alkaline earth metal form into ions peroxides; the peroxides of zinc, cadmium, mercury peroxides are covalent; and the peroxide of magnesium is between the two.
