The 0.8% periodic acid solution has many applications in biomedical and diagnostic procedures. In particular, it is used for periodate-lysine-paraformaldehyde (PLP) fixation in histological research, which enables the preservation of fine structures and specific antigens.

Its special suitability lies in its ability to generate aldehydes by cleaving vicinal diols in carbohydrates. This allows for specific staining as the aldehydes generated can react with various reagents. It is also relevant in immunohistochemistry, as periodic acid treatment is often used to increase antigenicity.

Chemically, periodic acid is a strong oxidizing agent. In solution, it oxidizes vicinal diols to aldehydes and simultaneously generates iodate and water.

In practice, the periodic acid solution is applied to the tissue, where its oxidative properties convert vicinal diols in the carbohydrates of tissue cells to aldehydes. This process may help improve staining or increase antigenicity for subsequent immunohistochemistry.