What is "acetone peroxide"

n. (context organic compound English) A cyclic organic peroxide; a mixture of mostly the trimer, (((CH₃)₂CO₂)₃), (TCAP or TATP), containing a nine-membered ring and the dimer, (((CH₃)₂CO₂)₂) containing a six-membered ring; it is a high explosive manufactured from acetone and hydrogen peroxide with the aid of sulphuric acid, and has been used by amateur bomb makers.

Acetone peroxide is an organic peroxide and a primary high explosive. It is produced by the oxidation of acetone to yield a mixture of linear monomer and cyclic dimer, trimer, and tetramer forms. The trimer is known as triacetone triperoxide (TATP) or tri-cyclic acetone peroxide (TCAP). Acetone peroxide takes the form of a white crystalline powder with a distinctive bleach-like odor and can explode if subjected to heat, friction, or shock. As a non-nitrogenous explosive, TATP has historically been more difficult to detect, and it has been implicated as the explosive used in terrorist attacks in Europe ( 2016 Brussels bombings) in 2016 and earlier.