Question

Which of the statements is correct about ${H_2}{O_2}$ For the above reaction ? Hydrogen peroxide is:
(The question has multiple answers.)
A. An oxidising agent in both acidic and basic medium
B. An oxidising agent in acidic and reducing agent in basic medium
C. A reducing agent in acidic and oxidising agent in basic medium
D. A reducing agent in the both acidic and basic medium

Answer 1

Hint: Loss of electrons is known as oxidation and gain of electrons is known as reduction. If we say an element is an oxidising agent then that means, it is undergoing reduction while it oxidises another species and vice versa.

Complete answer:
We will look into the two characteristics, hydrogen peroxide as an oxidising agent in acidic and basic medium and a reducing agent in acidic and basic medium.
For the first option, it says
Hydrogen peroxide is an oxidising agent in acidic as well as basic medium.
In acidic medium:
${H_2}{O_{2(aq)}} + 2{H^ + } + 2{{e}^{- }} \to 2{H_2}O$
In basic medium:
${H_2}{O_{2(aq)}} + 2{{e}^{- }} \to 2O{{H}^{- }}$
Hydrogen peroxide as a reducing agent:
${H_2}{O_{2(aq)}} + [O] \to {H_2}O + {O_2}$
Hydrogen peroxide combines with elemental oxygen to give molecular oxygen which is a strong oxidising agent.
In acidic medium:
${H_2}{O_{2(aq)}} \to 2{H^ + } + {O_2} + 2{{e}^{- }}$
In basic medium:
${H_2}{O_{2(aq)}} + 2O{{H}^{-} } \to 2{H_2}O + {O_2} + 2{{e}^ {-}}$

Therefore, the correct options are option (A) and option (D).

Additional information :
When any substance is dissolved in water, it can have either an oxidising property or a reducing property. However, it has been noted that, if we used ammonia as a solvent instead of water, then oxidising agents either become weaker or show reducing characteristics. Such as diatomic iodine does not show strong oxidising power in ammonia .
It is also true that there is no acid which can exist in the solution which will be stronger than the conjugate acid of the solvent, in case of water it will be protonated water. This is called the levelling effect.
Hence, the oxidation properties are not also the characteristic of the molecule but also of the solvent

Note: Due to its properties peroxides are widely used as catalysts in chemical reaction. It is used along with Sodium Hydroxide to yield epoxide rings on carbonyl groups which have a double bond at the α position. It is also used as an initiator in free radical reactions due to its peroxide linkage.