The copper acetate is created by mixing distilled vinegar and household hydrogen peroxide in a 50/50 ratio. The mixture is heated and then a piece of copper scouring pad is placed in. The scouring ...

We need a way to dissolve a little bit of copper from the board and get it to react with some chloride ions. This is commonly done with a mixture of hydrochloric acid and hydrogen peroxide.

The presence of peroxide species allows the catalyst to lose surface oxygen groups and causes the exchange of copper and oxygen near the catalyst surface, thinning the active CuO layer.