Hydrogen peroxide vs Isopropyl alcohol: what is the difference?
Hydrogen peroxide kills microbes by oxidising them and breaks down to water and oxygen; isopropyl alcohol, rubbing alcohol, denatures proteins and evaporates.
Sources and notes
- The sentence under the titlefrom sourceMoleculeFinder comparison notesThe pair's answer line.
- The two drawingscomputedMoleculeFinder rule (RDKit MCS)Each molecule's own drawing, as its page shows it. The common core, 1 of 4 atoms, is too small to align on.
Side by side
| Hydrogen peroxide | Isopropyl alcohol | |
|---|---|---|
| Molecular weightCalculated PubChem | 34.02 g/molH2O2 | 60.1 g/molC3H8O |
| Hydrogen-bond donorsCalculated PubChem | 2 | 1 |
| Where each turns upEditorial MoleculeFinder food and product lists |
|
|
| FamilyEditorial MoleculeFinder curated | Inorganic compounds | Alcohols |
| Everyday groupEditorial MoleculeFinder curated | Everyday chemistry | Everyday chemistry |
| Chemical groupsCalculated Found by rule (RDKit) | Not recorded | Alcohols |
| Hazard labelReported ECHA, EU CLP Regulation, Safe Work Australia, HSDB via PubChem; ECHA, EU CLP Regulation, Safe Work Australia via PubChem | Danger | Danger |
| The supplier-filed hazard label's signal word, not a statement about ordinary use. | ||
| LD50Measured HSDB via PubChem | 4,060 mg/kgpure hydrogen peroxide, rat, on the skin | 4,797 mg/kgpure isopropyl alcohol, dog, oral |
| A single acute animal measure, here in two different species. It ranks nothing about human safety. | ||
Sources and notes
- Molecular weightcomputedPubChemComputed from the structure; the formula is under each weight.
- Hydrogen-bond donorscomputedPubChemThe hydrogens on nitrogen or oxygen that each molecule can lend to a hydrogen bond, counted from its structure.
- Where each turns upfrom sourceMoleculeFinder food and product listsEach amount is an editorial figure from our lists, not a measurement of any one product. Each mark is set by hand on the list, never inferred.
- Familyfrom sourceMoleculeFinder curated
- Everyday groupfrom sourceMoleculeFinder curated
- Chemical groupscomputedFound by rule (RDKit)Each group is found in the structure by a chemical pattern.
- Hazard labelfrom sourceECHA, EU CLP Regulation, Safe Work Australia, HSDB via PubChem; ECHA, EU CLP Regulation, Safe Work Australia via PubChem
- LD50from sourceHSDB via PubChem
- ECHAfrom sourceAttributionSource: European Chemicals Agency, echa.europa.eu.
- EU CLP Regulationfrom sourceAttributionSource: EUR-Lex, Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008, © European Union.
- Safe Work Australiafrom sourceAttributionSource: Safe Work Australia, Hazardous Chemical Information System, © Commonwealth of Australia, CC BY 4.0.
- Identifiersfrom sourcePubChemPubChem CID 784 (Hydrogen peroxide) and 3776 (Isopropyl alcohol).
In more detail
Both sit in the same first-aid cabinet and they kill microbes by different mechanisms. Hydrogen peroxide is an oxidiser: it breaks down into water and oxygen, and the fizzing on a cut is that reaction being catalysed by an enzyme in your own tissue. Isopropyl alcohol denatures proteins and dissolves membranes instead, which is faster and does not depend on contact with tissue enzymes. Peroxide is the milder disinfectant of the two at the 3 percent strength sold for household use, and it also damages healthy cells in a wound, which is why its use on open cuts has fallen out of favour. Alcohol evaporates and leaves nothing behind; peroxide leaves water.
Sources and notes
- The paragraphfrom sourceMoleculeFinder comparison notes
Questions
- What is the difference between Hydrogen peroxide and Isopropyl alcohol?
- Hydrogen peroxide kills microbes by oxidising them and breaks down to water and oxygen; isopropyl alcohol, rubbing alcohol, denatures proteins and evaporates.
- Is Hydrogen peroxide bigger than Isopropyl alcohol?
- Isopropyl alcohol is the heavier molecule, 60.1 g/mol against 34.02 g/mol for Hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide is H2O2 and Isopropyl alcohol is C3H8O.
Sources and notes
- The answersfrom sourceMoleculeFinderThe first is the pair's answer line; the others are read off the table above.