Availability and Purity
As a pure substance, m-CPBA can be detonated by shock or by sparks. It is therefore sold commercially as a much more stable mixture that is less than 72% m-CPBA, with the balance made up of m-chlorobenzoic acid (10%) and water. The peracid can be purified by washing the commercial material with a slightly basic buffer solution and then drying. Peracids are generally slightly less acidic than their carboxylic acid counterparts, so one can extract the acid impurity by careful control of pH. The purified material is reasonably stable against decomposition if stored at low temperatures in a plastic container.
In reactions where the exact amount of m-CPBA must be controlled, a sample can be titrated to determine the exact amount of active oxidant.
Read more about this topic: Meta-Chloroperoxybenzoic Acid
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