What e Acetone Peroxides?
Acetone peroxide (triacetone triperoxide, peroxyacetone, TATP, TCAP) is an organic peroxide and a primary high explosive. It takes the form of a white crystalline powder with a distinctive acrid smell. It is highly heat, friction, and shock sensitive. For its instability, it has been called the “Mother of Satan”. It has perhaps sprung into notoriety due to its alleged use in the July 2005 London bombings. Acetone peroxide was discovered in 1895 by R. Wolffenstein (Chemische Berichte 28, 2265 (1895)). Information about it including the relative proportions of monomer, dimer, and trimer is also available in the Journal of the American Chemical Society 81, 6461 (1959). Other sources include crystal structure and 3d analysis in “The Chemistry of Peroxides” edited by Saul Patai (pp. 396รข??7), as well as the “Textbook of Practical Organic Chemistry” by Vogel.
