Transition metal ions have the ability to increase the oxidation
performance of the inorganic peroxy salts at room temperature by possibly
lowering their activation energy or by producing more reactive free
radicals. When two transition metal salts are used together to decompose
dipersulfate, it provides synergistic oxidation activity, better than
obtained by dipersulfate or dipersulfate with either copper or zinc
alone. The transition metals mentioned are the water soluble salts of
copper and zinc. Oxidation performance of sodium dipersulface in presence
of catalytic amount of copper and zinc salts was determined by measuring
the destruction of crystal violet dye at a wavelength of 589 nm.