Ammonium persulfate

Athanor · official

H₈N₂O₈S₂ · 228.21 g/mol

IUPAC name: diazanium;sulfonatooxy sulfate

Also called APS, persulfate, radical initiator, gel polymerisation

Reagents Inorganic

Open in Athanor

Drawn from its SMILES with RDKit

DangerMay intensify fire; oxidizer · Harmful if swallowed · Causes skin irritation · May cause an allergic skin reaction · Causes serious eye irritation · May cause allergy or asthma symptoms or breathing difficulties if inhaled · May cause respiratory irritation

Names and identifiers

IUPAC name: diazanium;sulfonatooxy sulfate
Synonyms: APS, persulfate, radical initiator
+ 39 more
gel polymerisation, Ammonium peroxydisulfate, Diammonium peroxydisulfate, Diammonium peroxydisulphate, Ammonium persulphate, DTXSID9029691, 22QF6L357F, DTXCID209691, CHEBI:156543, Peroxydisulfuric acid (((HO)S(O)2)2O2), ammonium salt (1:2), RefChem:5551, Bis(Ammonium) Peroxodisulfate, 231-786-5, Ammonium Peroxysulfate, Diammonium Persulfate, Peroxydisulfuric Acid, Diammonium Salt, Persulfate d'ammonium, Ammonium peroxodisulfate, Ammonium peroxydisulphate, APS Solution, ammonium persuiphate, ammonium per sulphate, ammonium peroxidisulfate, ammonium persulphate-d8, Epitope ID:1309331, diazanium;sulfonatooxy sulfate, orb2941050, AMMONIUM PERSULFATE, ACS, AMMONIUM PERSULFATE [VANDF], AMMONIUM PERSULFATE [MART.], Tox21_201161, AMMONIUM PEROXYDISULFATE [MI], TXB-00065, AKOS025243328, Ammonium persulfate pound APS pound(c), FA40911, NCGC00258713-01, CAS-7727-54-0, DB-056201
Molecular formula: H₈N₂O₈S₂
Empirical formula: H₄NO₄S
Molecular weight: 228.21 g/mol
Exact mass: 227.97221
CAS number: 7727-54-0
PubChem CID: 62648
Canonical SMILES: [NH4+].[NH4+].[O-]S(=O)(=O)OOS(=O)(=O)[O-]
Isomeric SMILES: [NH4+].[NH4+].[O-]S(=O)(=O)OOS(=O)(=O)[O-]
InChI: InChI=1S/2H3N.H2O8S2/c;;1-9(2,3)7-8-10(4,5)6/h2*1H3;(H,1,2,3)(H,4,5,6)
InChIKey: ROOXNKNUYICQNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Molfile

Names, InChI and the identifiers from PubChem, retrieved 2026-10-14.

Physical properties

TemperaturePressureDensity

Appearance: Colorless, white monoclinic crystals[4]
4 values
From Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB), the most authoritative source here.
Value As written Source
– Ammonium persulfate appears as a white crystalline solid. A strong oxidizing agent. Does not burn readily, but may cause spontaneous ignition of organic materials. Used as a bleaching agent and as a food preservative. [1] CAMEO Chemicals
– Liquid; Large Crystals; Dry Powder [2] EPA Chemical Data Reporting (CDR)
– COLOURLESS CRYSTALS OR WHITE POWDER. [3] ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
–shown Colorless, white monoclinic crystals [4] Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)cites Lewis, R.J. Sr. (ed) Sax's Dangerous Properties of Industrial Materials. 11th Edition. Wiley-Interscience, Wiley & Sons, Inc. Hoboken, NJ. 2004., p. V2: 240
Melting point: Reported, but no value passed the checks.
The value and why
Decomposes at 120 °C (could not be read; source [4])
Density: 1.982 @25 °C[5]
3 values
2 of 3 sources agree on it (most common value).
Value As written Source
– 1.98 at 68 °F (USCG, 1999) - Denser than water [1] CAMEO Chemicalscites U.S. Coast Guard. 1999. Chemical Hazard Response Information System (CHRIS) - Hazardous Chemical Data. Commandant Instruction 16465.12C. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office.
– 1.9 g/cm³ [3] ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
–shown 1.982 @25 °C [5] PAC Chemical Database, U.S. Department of Energy
Solubility in water: Solubility in water, g/100ml at 20 °C: 58.2[3]

Value	As written	Source
–	Ammonium persulfate appears as a white crystalline solid. A strong oxidizing agent. Does not burn readily, but may cause spontaneous ignition of organic materials. Used as a bleaching agent and as a food preservative.	[1] CAMEO Chemicals
–	Liquid; Large Crystals; Dry Powder	[2] EPA Chemical Data Reporting (CDR)
–	COLOURLESS CRYSTALS OR WHITE POWDER.	[3] ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
–shown	Colorless, white monoclinic crystals	[4] Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)cites Lewis, R.J. Sr. (ed) Sax's Dangerous Properties of Industrial Materials. 11th Edition. Wiley-Interscience, Wiley & Sons, Inc. Hoboken, NJ. 2004., p. V2: 240

Value	As written	Source
–	1.98 at 68 °F (USCG, 1999) - Denser than water	[1] CAMEO Chemicalscites U.S. Coast Guard. 1999. Chemical Hazard Response Information System (CHRIS) - Hazardous Chemical Data. Commandant Instruction 16465.12C. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office.
–	1.9 g/cm³	[3] ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
–shown	1.982 @25 °C	[5] PAC Chemical Database, U.S. Department of Energy

Each value as its source reports it, with the source's number after it (listed under References). Where several sources report a property, the row shows the value most of them agree on, the rule the app uses; open the values to see every one.

Calculated

Heavy atoms: 12
Rings: 0
Aromatic rings: 0
Fraction sp³ carbons (Fsp3): 0
H-bond donors: 2
H-bond acceptors: 8
Rotatable bonds: 3 computed here · PubChem 1
TPSA (Å²): 205.9 computed here · PubChem 152
Formal charge: 0
Complexity: 206 PubChem
Stereocenters: None
Double-bond geometry: None specified
Point group: C1 of one 3D conformer with its hydrogens, by Athanor’s engine (as in the app)

Elemental analysis

H3.53%
N12.28%
O56.09%
S28.10%

Isotope pattern

Each peak is a nominal mass with its abundance-weighted exact mass, as a percentage of the tallest, from IUPAC natural isotope abundances.

Computed from the structure with RDKit 2026.09 when this page was built, beside PubChem's own computed values from its record; where the two differ, both are shown.

Predicted

log P: -1.39 Crippen (Wildman and Crippen 1999)
log S (water solubility): -0.18 ESOL (Delaney 2004), log mol/L
Synthetic accessibility: 4.94 SA score, 1 easy to 10 hard (Ertl and Schuffenhauer 2009)

Drug-likeness: Lipinski’s rule of five

Molecular weight ≤ 500: 228.2
log P ≤ 5 (Crippen): -1.39
H-bond donors ≤ 5: 2
H-bond acceptors ≤ 10: 8

Passes all four rules.

Predictions, not measurements; each names its method. A measured log P, where a source reports one, is under Physical properties.

Safety

Danger

Harmonized EU classification (CLP Annex VI). Source [6].

Oxidizer
Harmful or irritant
Health hazard

H272May intensify fire; oxidizer
H302Harmful if swallowed
H315Causes skin irritation
H317May cause an allergic skin reaction
H319Causes serious eye irritation
H334May cause allergy or asthma symptoms or breathing difficulties if inhaled
H335May cause respiratory irritation

Precautionary statements: P210, P220, P233, P260, P261, P264, P264+P265, P270, P271, P272, P280, P284, P301+P317, P302+P352, P304+P340, P305+P351+P338, P319, P321, P330, P332+P317, P333+P317, P337+P317, P342+P316, P362+P364, P370+P378, P403, P403+P233, P405, P501

Exposure limits

TLV: 0.1 mg/m[3]
MAK (Maximale Arbeitsplatz Konzentration): Sensitization of respiratory tract and skin (SAH)[3]

First aid

Inhalation: Remove to fresh air. Eyes: Wash with water for 20 min.; call a physician. Skin: Wash with water. (USCG, 1999)[1]
General First Aid: · Call 911 or emergency medical service. · Ensure that medical personnel are aware of the material(s) involved, take precautions to protect themselves and avoid contamination. · Move victim to fresh air if it can be done safely. · Administer oxygen if breathing is difficult. · If victim is not breathing: -- DO NOT perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation; the victim may have ingested or inhaled the substance. -- If equipped and pulse detected, wash face and mouth, then give artificial respiration using a proper respiratory medical device (bag-valve mask, pocket mask equipped…[7]
Fresh air, rest. Artificial respiration may be needed. Refer for medical attention.[3]
First rinse with plenty of water for at least 15 minutes, then remove contaminated clothes and rinse again.[3]

Storage

Dry. Well closed. Separated from combustible substances, reducing agents, powdered metals and strong bases.[3]

Incompatibilities

A mixutre of ammonium persulfate and sodium peroxide will explode if subjected to crushing (in a mortar), heating, or if a stream of carbon dioxide is passed over it.[4]
Comstibles, sodium peroxide, aluminum, water[4]
Violent reaction with iron or solutions of ammonia + silver salts.[4]

Safety data sheets on the supplier’s page: CymitQuimica, Thermo Fisher Scientific, LGC Standards.

Always read the supplier’s safety data sheet before working with it.

Spectra

Experimental spectra held by these sources; each link opens the source's own record.

Literature

Reading PubChem, OpenAlex and GSRS…

Bioactivity

Reading ChEMBL…

References

[1]CAMEO Chemicals · Public domain (NOAA) · via PubChem · retrieved 2026-10-14
[2]EPA Chemical Data Reporting (CDR) · Public domain (US EPA) · via PubChem · retrieved 2026-10-14
[3]ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs) · CC BY 4.0 · via PubChem · retrieved 2026-10-14
[4]Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB) · Public domain (US NLM) · via PubChem · retrieved 2026-10-14
[5]PAC Chemical Database, U.S. Department of Energy · Public domain (US DOE) · via PubChem · retrieved 2026-10-14
[6]Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council · EU reuse policy, CC BY 4.0 · via PubChem · retrieved 2026-10-14
[7]Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG) · Public domain (US DOT) · via PubChem · retrieved 2026-10-14
[8]SpectraBase · Linked only · via PubChem · retrieved 2026-10-14
·Calculated values: computed by Athanor with RDKit 2026.09 from the structure.
·Literature on PubChem

Data last updated 2026-10-14.