[4] The ammonium, sodium, and potassium salts adopt very similar structures in the solid state, according to X-ray crystallography.

It is also used along with tetramethylethylenediamine to catalyze the polymerization of acrylamide in making a polyacrylamide gel, hence being important for SDS-PAGE and western blot.

Illustrative of its powerful oxidizing properties, ammonium persulfate is used to etch copper on printed circuit boards as an alternative to ferric chloride solution.

In 1908, John William Turrentine used a dilute ammonium persulfate solution to etch copper.

[10] Furthermore, it has been suggested that exposure to ammonium persulfate can cause asthmatic effects in hair dressers and receptionists working in the hairdressing industry.