# Formation of strontium peroxide

Wikipedia states:

Strontium peroxide is produced by passing oxygen over heated strontium oxide. Upon heating in the absence of $\ce{O2}$, it degrades to $\ce{SrO}$ and $\ce{O2}$.

I found some literature about what temperature is needed but I did not find any literature about the condition of oxygen pressure. If I do annealing of $\ce{SrO}$ at $\pu{800 ^\circ C}$ in $\pu{0.5 atm}$ oxygen, will I form $\ce{SrO2}$?

There are a few method to synthesize $\ce{SrO2}$ from $\ce{SrO}$ and $\ce{O2}$. One of them uses $\ce{KClO3}$ as the source of $\ce{O2}$ [Ref. 1]. The paper is in German but has English abstract which states:

Abstract. Single crystals of $\ce{SrO2}$ have been oblained after high pressure/high temperature reaction of a $\ce{SrO}$/$\ce{KClO3}$ mtxture at $\pu{20 kbar}$, $\pu{1400 ^\circ C}$. ... From a refinement of the site occupation factor for oxygen a composition $\ce{SrO_{1.95(2)}}$ has been found for the crystal investigated.

Note that $\pu{20 kbar}$ pressure was inserted by the $\ce{O2}$ released by the following reaction at high temperature (Ref. 2): $\ce{2KClO3(s) -> 2KCl(s) + 3O2(g)}$.

Experimental information on the $\ce{Sr-O}$ has been reviewed in Ref. 2 and stability of $\ce{SrO2}$ and phase-diagram of $\ce{Sr-O}$ is graphically presented (see Figure 1 & 2, respectively). Accordingly, $\ce{SrO}$ under $\pu{0.5 atm}$ of $\ce{O2}$ pressure at $\pu{800 ^\circ C}$ would not produce $\ce{SrO2}$ (see Figure 1: Only $\ce{SrO}$ exists under the conditions, $\log_{10} p = \log_{10} 0.5 = -0.30$ and $\frac{1000}{\mathrm{T}} = \frac{1000}{1073.15} = 0.93$).

References:

1. K.-J. Kange, F. Rau, U. SchieBl, U. Klement, Verfeinerung der Kristallstruktur von $\ce{SrO2}$ (Refinement of the Crystal Structure of $\ce{SrO2}$), Z. anorg. allg. Chem., 1994, 620, 879-881 (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/zaac.19946200521).

2. D. Risold, B. Hallstedt, L. J. Gauckler, The strontium-oxygen system, Calphad, 1996, 20(3), 353-361 (https://doi.org/10.1016/S0364-5916(96)00037-5).

• as I read on this phase diagram (left) at room temperature (3.66 [1000/T^-1]) and athmosperic pressure (0(zero) [log(P[bar]] SrO-2) is stable. am i right? – pan91 Jul 10 '18 at 12:23

From atomistry.com:

Very large pressures are required in order to make strontium oxide combine directly with oxygen. Combination under a pressure of 76 atmospheres of oxygen is possible, but the maximum yield, 15-16 per cent, of peroxide, is obtained at about 400° C. under a pressure of 98 atmospheres.