Numerical evidence of complex nonlinear phenomena of the Belousov-Zhabotinsky oscillatory reaction under batch conditions

By numerical calculations based on our previously proposed model with Br₂O intermediate species we were able to simulate complex evolution of the Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction under batch conditions. In the defined region of initial malonic acid concentration [MA]₀ (1.00 × 10^?3 mol dm³ ≤ [MA]₀ ≤ 1.50 mol dm^?3) different sequences of regular and complex periodic and aperiodic oscillations were obtained. It is noticed that the bromine evaporation significantly affects the dynamics of the reaction.     

Photophysics and charge dynamics of Q-PbS based mixed ZnS/PbS and PbS/ZnS semiconductor nanoparticles

The surface of ZnS and PbS has been modified by interfacing PbS on ZnS and ZnS on PbS nanoparticles. This produced core-shell nanocomposites ZnS/PbS and PbS/ZnS with tunable electronic properties. In both structures PbS particles are present in cubic form with an average diameter of about 6 nm. The addition of Pb2+ (3 x 10(-4) mol dm(-3)) to Q-ZnS (1.5 x 10(-4) mol dm(-3)) in the basic pH range produces size-quantized fluorescent PbS particles coated by metal hydroxides. In these particles the relaxation kinetics of charge carriers has been followed using a picosecond single-photon counting technique. At 1.5 x 10(-4) mol dm(-3) Pb2+ an interfacial relaxation of charge from ZnS to PbS phase could be observed in subnanosecond time domain. An increase in [Pb2+] from 2 x 10(-4) to 1 x 10(-3) mol dm(-3) enhanced the average emission lifetime from 9.4 to 19.4 ns. Composite PbS/ZnS particles are produced at high [ZnS] only. These particles had emission lifetime in mus time range. The extent of charge separation and the dynamics of charge carriers could be manipulated by the surface modification of these nanostructures.     

Effects of non-ionic micelles on transient chaos in an unstirred Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction

The behaviour of the Ce(IV)-catalyzed Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) system has been monitored at 20.0 degrees C in unstirred batch conditions in the absence and presence of different amounts of the non-ionic micelle-forming surfactants hexaethylene glycol monodecyl ether (C10E6) and hexaethylene glycol monotetradecyl ether (C14E6). The influence of the non-ionic surfactants on both the kinetics of the oxidation of malonic acid (MA) by Ce(IV) species and the behaviour of the BZ reaction in stirred batch conditions has also been studied over a wide surfactant concentration range. The experimental results have shown that, in unstirred batch conditions, at surfactant concentrations below the critical micelle concentration (c.m.c.) no significant change in the dynamics of the Belousov-Zhabotinsky system occurs. Beyond this critical concentration the presence of micelles forces the BZ system to undergo a chaos-->quasi-periodicity-->period-1 transition. Thus, the surfactant concentration has been considered as a bifurcation parameter for a Ruelle-Takens-Newhouse (RTN) scenario. Addition of increasing amounts of non-ionic surfactants has no significant effect on the kinetics of the reaction between MA and Ce(IV), but it influences the oscillatory parameters of the stirred BZ system. At surfactant concentrations below the c.m.c. all the oscillatory parameters are practically unaffected by the presence of surfactant, while beyond this critical value the induction period is the same as in aqueous solution but both the oscillation period and the duration of the rising portion of the oscillatory cycle decrease. In all cases, the experimental trends have been ascribed to the enhancement in the medium viscosity due to the presence of micelles.     

Uncatalyzed reactions in the classical Belousov-Zhabotinsky system. I. Reactions of bromomalonic acid with acidic bromate and with HOBr

The uncatalyzed reactions of bromomalonic acid (BrMA) with acidic bromate and with hypobromous acid were studied in 1 M sulfuric acid, a usual medium for the oscillatory Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction, by following the rate of the carbon dioxide evolution associated with these reactions. In addition, the decarboxylation rate of dibromomalonic acid (Br2MA) was also measured to determine the first-order rate constant of its decomposition (4.65 x 10(-5) s(-1) in 1 M H2SO4). The dependence of that rate constant on the hydrogen ion concentration suggests a carbocation formation. A slow oligomerization of BrMA observed in sulfuric acid solutions is also rationalized as a carbocationic process. The initial rate of the BrMA-BrO3- reaction is a bilinear function of the BrMA and BrO3- concentrations with a second-order rate constant of 3.8 x 10(-4) M(-1) s(-1). When a great excess of BrO3- is applied, then BrMA is oxidized mostly to CO2. A reaction scheme compatible with the experimental finding is also given. On the other hand, when less BrO3- and more organic substrate - BrMA or malonic acid (MA)--is applied, then addition reactions of various carbocations with the enol form of the organic substrates should be taken into account in later stages of the reaction. It was discovered that HOBr, which brominates BrMA to Br2MA when BrMA is in excess, can also oxidize BrMA when HOBr is in excess. As Br2MA does not react with HOBr, it is assumed that the acyl hypobromite, formed in the first step of the HOBr and BrMA reaction, can react with an additional HOBr to give oxidation products. It was found that the initial rate of the reaction can be described by the following experimental rate law: k(BHOB)[BrMA]0[HOBr]0(2), where k(BHOB) = 5 M(-2) s(-1). A reaction scheme for the oxidation of BrMA by HOBr is given for conditions where HOBr is in excess. Model calculations illustrate qualitatively that the suggested reaction schemes are able to mimic the experiments. (More quantitative simulations are prevented by kinetic data missing for the various carbocation intermediates.) Finally, the effects of these newly observed reactions on oscillatory BZ systems are discussed briefly.     

Coexistence of two bifurcation regimes in a closed ferroin-catalyzed Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction

The ferroin-catalyzed Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction was studied in a batch reactor under anaerobic conditions and was found to evolve through two separated regimes of complex oscillations. Significantly, the two bifurcation regimes exhibited qualitatively different dependence on compositions of the reaction mixture, i.e., initial concentrations of bromate, sulfuric acid, malonic acid, and ferroin. The reaction temperature also showed opposite effects on the two bifurcation regimes, in which complexities of the first bifurcation regime were enhanced while oscillations in the second bifurcation regime became simpler as a result of decreasing temperature. Numerical simulations with a 12-variable model developed specifically for the ferroin-BZ system were able to reproduce transient complex oscillations observed in experiments. These calculations further illustrated that reactions such as ferroin and HOBr, ferroin and HBrO2, and ferriin and Br- were not essential in describing complex dynamics of the ferroin-BZ reaction.     

Spatio-temporal perturbation of the dynamics of the ferroin catalyzed Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction in a batch reactor caused by sodium dodecyl sulfate micelles

The effects of the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) on the spatio-temporal and temporal dynamics of the ferroin-catalyzed Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction have been studied over a wide surfactant concentration range. For the first time, investigations were performed also for unstirred systems. The presence of SDS in the reaction mixture influences the oscillatory parameters to an extent that significantly depends on the surfactant concentration. The trend of the wave speed v upon the increasing amount of SDS was found to have a maximum at [SDS] = 0.075 mol dm (-3) ( v = 0.071 mm s (-1)), after which the speed decreased to 0.043 mm s (-1) at [SDS] = 0.5 mol dm (-3), which is below the value found in the absence of the surfactant ( v = 0.055 mm s (-1)). The response of the oscillatory BZ system to the addition of SDS has been ascribed to two different causes: (a) the peculiar capability of the organized surfactant assemblies to affect the reactivity by selectively sequestering some key reacting species and (b) the modifications induced by SDS on the physical properties of the medium. These hypotheses have been corroborated by performing spectrophotometric investigations on the stirred BZ system. Complementary viscosity measurements gave useful hints for the clarification of the surfactant role.     

I(+1) transfer from diiodomalonic acid to malonic acid and a complete inhibition of the CO and CO2 evolution in the Briggs-Rauscher reaction by resorcinol

A recent report on an intense CO 2 and CO evolution in the Briggs-Rauscher (BR) reaction revealed that iodination of malonic acid (MA) is not the only important organic reaction in the classical BR oscillator. To disclose the source of the gas evolution, iodomalonic (IMA) and diiodomalonic (I2MA) acids were prepared by iodinating MA with nascent iodine in a semibatch reactor. The nascent iodine was generated by an iodide inflow into the reactor, which contained a mixture of MA and acidic iodate. Some CO2 and a minor CO production was observed during these iodinations. It was found that in an aqueous acidic medium the produced I2MA is not stable but decomposes slowly to diiodoacetic acid and CO2. The first-order rate constant of the I 2MA decarboxylation at 20 degrees C was found to be k1 = 9 x 10(-5) s(-1), which is rather close to the rate constant of the analogous decarboxylation of dibromomalonic acid under similar conditions (7 x 10(-5)s(-1)). From the rate of the CO2 evolution, the I2MA concentration can be calculated in a MA-IMA-I2MA mixture as only I2MA decarboxylates spontaneously but MA and IMA are stable. Following CO2 evolution rates, it was proven that I2MA can react with MA in the reversible reaction I2MA + MA <--> 2 IMA. The equilibrium constant of this reaction was calculated as K = 380 together with the rate constants of the forward k 2 = 6.2 x 10 (-2) M (-1)s(-1) and backward k-2 = 1.6 x 10(-4) M(-1)s(-1) reactions. The probable mechanism of the reaction is I(+1) transfer from I2MA to MA. The presence of I(+1) in a I2MA solution is demonstrated by its reduction with ascorbic acid. To estimate the fraction of CO2 coming from the decarboxylation of I2MA in an oscillatory BR reaction, the oscillations were inhibited by resorcinol. Unexpectedly, all CO2 and CO evolution was interrupted for more than one hour after injecting a small amount of resorcinol (10(-5) M initial concentration in the reactor). Finally, some implications of the newly found I(+1) transfer reactions and the surprisingly effective inhibition by resorcinol regarding the mechanism of the oscillatory BR reaction are discussed. The latter is explained by the ability of resorcinol to scavenge free radicals including iodine atoms without producing iodide ions.     

Temperature influence on the malonic acid decomposition in the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction

The kinetic investigations of the malonic acid decomposition (8.00 × 10⁻³ mol dm⁻³ ≤ [CH₂(COOH)₂]₀ ≤ 4.30 × 10⁻² mol dm⁻³) in the Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) system in the presence of bromate, bromide, sulfuric acid and cerium sulfate, were performed in the isothermal closed well stirred reactor at different temperatures (25.0°C ≤ T ≤ 45.0°C). The formal kinetics of the overall BZ reaction, and particularly kinetics in characteristic periods of BZ reaction, based on the analyses of the bromide oscillograms, was accomplished. The evolution as well as the rate constants and the apparent activation energies of the reactions, which exist in the preoscillatory and oscillatory periods, are also successfully calculated by numerical simulations. Simulations are based on the model including the Br₂O species. The article is published in the original.     

Free-radical-induced chain breakage and depolymerization of poly(methacrylic acid): equilibrium polymerization in aqueous solution at room temperature

Hydroxyl radicals, generated by ionizing radiation in N2O saturated aqueous solutions, abstract H atoms from poly(methacrylic acid) at the methyl and methylene groups, and radicals 1 and 2 are formed, respectively. The reactions of the poly(methacrylic acid) radicals were investigated by pulse radiolysis (using optical and conductometric detection), EPR, product analysis, and kinetic simulations. The conductometric detection allowed us to measure the rate of chain scission and monomer release. Under conditions in which the polymer is largely deprotonated, the primary radical 1 abstracts a hydrogen (k= 3.5 x 10(2)s(-1)) from the methylene group, and this yields the more stable secondary radical 2. This radical undergoes chain scission by beta-fragmentation (k= 1.8 s(-1)), and the terminal (end-of-chain) radical 3 is formed. The polymer radicals terminate only slowly (2k= 80 dm3mol(-1)s(-1)). This allows effective depolymerization (depropagation) to take place (k=0.1 s(-1)). The yield of monomer release is higher than the original radical yield by up to two orders of magnitude. Once monomer is formed, it reacts with 3 (propagation, k= 15 dm3mol(-1)s(-1)), and a situation close to an equilibrium radical polymerization is approached. From these data, the equilibrium monomer concentration is calculated at 6.7 x 10(-3) mol dm(-3) at room temperature. The standard entropy of propagation is estimated at -185 to -150 J mol(-1)K(-1). Because the monomer reaches concentrations in the millimolar range, the *OH radicals increasingly react with monomers (results in oligomerization) rather than with the polymer. This effect is reflected by, for example, a lowering of chain-scission yields upon prolonged irradiation. In acid solutions, the decay of the polymer radicals becomes much faster (estimated at about 10(7)dm3mol(-1)s(-1) at pH3.5), and monomer release is no longer observed.     

The removal efficiency of chestnut shells for selected pesticides from aqueous solutions

The removal of selected pesticides such as carbofuran (CF) and methyl parathion (MP) using low-cost abundant sorbent chestnut shells from aqueous solutions has been investigated in the present study. The sorption parameters, i.e., contact time, pH, initial pesticide solution concentration and temperature have been studied. Maximum percent sorption (99+/-1%) was achieved for (0.38-3.80) x10(-4) and (0.45-4.5) x10(-4) mol dm(-3) of MP and CF pesticide solutions respectively, using 0.4 g of sorbent in 100 ml of solution for 30 min agitation time at pH 6. The Freundlich, Langmuir and Dubinin-Radushkevich (D-R) models have been applied, and their constants for methyl parathion and carbofuran, sorption intensity 1/n (0.55+/-0.02 and 0.54+/-0.04), multilayer sorption capacity C(m) (28.3+/-0.5 and 16.4+/-0.7) x10(-3) mol l(1-1/n)dm(3/n)g(-1), monolayer sorption capacity Q (22.5+/-0.5 and 10.8+/-0.3) x10(-6) mo lg(-1), binding energy, b (2.9+/-0.2 and 5.2+/-0.5) x10(4) dm(3)mol(-1), and sorption energy E (11.2+/-0.1 and 11.5+/-0.2 kJ mol(-1)) have been evaluated respectively. Lagergren, Morris-Weber and Reichenberg equations were employed to study kinetics of sorption process. Thermodynamic parameters DeltaH (-5.09+/-0.1 and 22.8+/-0.4 kJ mol(-1)), DeltaS (-4.33+/-0.0003 and 0.09+/-0.001 kJ mol(-1)K(-1)) and DeltaG((303K)) (-2.9 and -3.8 kJ mol(-1)) have been calculated for methyl parathion and carbofuran, respectively. The developed sorption procedure has been employed to environmental samples.     

Dissolution of Nickel Ferrite in Aqueous Solutions Containing Oxalic Acid and Ferrous Salts

The dissolution of nickel ferrite in oxalic acid and in ferrous oxalate-oxalic acid aqueous solution was studied. Nickel ferrite was synthesized by thermal decomposition of a mixed tartrate; the particles were shown to be coated with a thin ferric oxide layer. Dissolution takes place in two stages, the first one corresponding to the dissolution of the ferric oxide outer layer and the second one being the dissolution of Ni(1.06)Fe(1.96)O(4). The kinetics of dissolution during this first stage is typical of ferric oxides: in oxalic acid, both a ligand-assisted and a redox mechanism operates, whereas in the presence of ferrous ions, redox catalysis leads to a faster dissolution. The rate dependence on both oxalic acid and on ferrous ion is described by the Langmuir-Hinshelwood equation; the best fitting corresponds to K(1)(ads)=25.6 mol(-1) dm(-3) and k(1)(max)=9.17x10(-7) mol m(-2) s(-1) and K(2)(ads)=37.1x10(3) mol(-1) dm(-3) and k(2)(max)=62.3x10(-7) mol m(-2) s(-1), respectively. In the second stage, Langmuir-Hinshelwood kinetics also describes the dissolution of iron and nickel from nickel ferrite, with K(1)(ads)=20.8 mol(-1) dm(3) and K(2)(ads)=1.16x10(5) mol(-1) dm(3). For iron, k(1)(max)=1.02x10(-7) mol of Fe m(-2) s(-1) and k(2)(max)=2.38x10(-7) mol of Fe m(-2) s(-1); for nickel, the rate constants k(1)(max) and k(2)(max) are 2.4 and 1.79 times smaller, respectively. The factor 1.79 agrees nicely with the stoichiometric ratio, whereas the factor 2.4 implies the accumulation of some nickel in the residual particles. The rate of nickel dissolution in oxalic acid is higher than that in bunsenite by a factor of 8, whereas hematite is more reactive by a factor of 9 (in the absence of Fe(II)) and 27 (in the presence of Fe (II)). It may be concluded that oxalic acid operates to dissolve iron, and the ensuing disruption of the solid framework accelerates the release of nickel. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.     

Period-doubling and chaotic oscillations the ferroin-catalyzed Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction in a CSTR

The ferroin-catalyzed Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction, the oxidation of malonic acid by acidic bromate, is the most commonly investigated chemical system for understanding spatial pattern formation. Various oscillatory behaviors were found from such as mixed-mode and simple period-doubling oscillations and chaos on both Pt electrode and Br-ISE at high flow rates to mixed-mode oscillations on Br-ISE only at Iow flow rates. The complex dynamic behaviors were qualitatively reproduced with a two-cycle coupling model proposed initially by Gy(o)rgyi and Field. This investigation offered a proper medium for studying pattern formation under complex temporal dynamics. In addition, it also shows that complex oscillations and chaos in the BZ reaction can be extended to other bromate-driven nonlinear reaction systems with different metal catalysts.     

Period-doubling and chaotic oscillations in the ferroin-catalyzed Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction in a CSTR

The ferroin-catalyzed Belousov-Zhabotinsky(BZ) reaction,the oxidation of malonic acid by acidic bromate,is the most commonly investigated chemical system for understanding spatial pattern forma-tion. Various oscillatory behaviors were found from such as mixed-mode and simple period-doubling oscillations and chaos on both Pt electrode and Br-ISE at high flow rates to mixed-mode oscillations on Br-ISE only at low flow rates. The complex dynamic behaviors were qualitatively reproduced with a two-cycle coupling model proposed initially by Gy?rgyi and Field. This investigation offered a proper medium for studying pattern formation under complex temporal dynamics. In addition,it also shows that complex oscillations and chaos in the BZ reaction can be extended to other bromate-driven nonlinear reaction systems with different metal catalysts.     

Cucurbit[7]uril host-guest complexes of the histamine H2-receptor antagonist ranitidine

The macrocyclic host cucurbit[7]uril forms very stable complexes with the diprotonated (K(CB[7])(1) = 1.8 x 10(8) dm(3) mol(-1)), monoprotonated (K(CB[7])(2) = 1.0 x 10(7) dm(3) mol(-1)), and neutral (K(CB[7])(3) = 1.2 x 10(3) dm(3) mol(-1)) forms of the histamine H(2)-receptor antagonist ranitidine in aqueous solution. The complexation behaviour was investigated using (1)H NMR and UV-visible spectroscopy as a function of pH and the pK(a) values of the guest were observed to increase (DeltapK(a1) = 1.5 and DeltapK(a2) = 1.6) upon host-guest complex formation. The energy-minimized structures of the host-guest complexes with the cationic guests were determined and provide agreement with the NMR results indicating the location of the CB[7] over the central portion of the guest. The inclusion of the monoprotonated form of ranitidine slows the normally rapid (E)-(Z) exchange process and generates a preference for the (Z) isomer. The formation of the CB[7] host-guest complex greatly increases the thermal stability of ranitidine in acidic aqueous solution at 50 degrees C, but has no effect on its photochemical reactivity.     

Binding nucleophiles to [Fe4Y4Cl4](2-) (Y = S or Se) can increase or suppress the rate of proton transfer to the cluster

In the proton transfer reactions between [Fe 4Y 4Cl 4] (2-) (Y = S or Se) and [pyrH] (+) (pyr = pyrrolidine) in the presence of a variety of nucleophiles (L = I (-), Br (-), PhS (-), EtS (-) or ButNC), initial binding of the nucleophile can occur to generate [Fe 4Y 4Cl 4(L)] ( n- ). The subsequent rate of proton transfer depends markedly on the nature of L. Stopped-flow kinetic studies show that proton transfer from [pyrH] (+) to [Fe 4Y 4Cl 4] (2-) { (S) k 4 = (2.1 +/- 0.5) x 10 (4) dm (3) mol (-1) s (-1); (Se) k 4 = (8.0 +/- 0.5) x 10 (3) dm (3) mol (-1) s (-1)} is increased by prior binding of L = PhS (-) or Bu ( t )NC to form [Fe 4Y 4Cl 4(L)] (n-) ( (S) k 7 (L) approximately 1 x 10 (6) dm (3) mol (-1) s (-1)), but prior binding of L = I (-), Br (-), or EtS (-) to the clusters inhibits the rate of proton transfer {e.g. (S) k 7 (I) = (6.0 +/- 0.8) x 10 (2) dm (3) mol (-1) s (-1); (Se) k 7 (I) = (4.5 +/- 0.5) x 10 (2) dm (3) mol (-1) s (-1)}. This behavior is correlated with the bonding characteristics of L and the effect this has on bond length reorganization within the cluster upon proton transfer.     

Contribution to the chemistry of the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction. Products of the Ferriin-Bromomalonic acid and the Ferriin-Malonic acid reactions

In the present mechanistic schemes of the ferroin-catalyzed oscillatory Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction the oxidation of the organic substrates (bromomalonic or malonic acid) by ferriin (the oxidized form of the catalyst) plays an important role. As the organic products of these reactions were not yet identified experimentally, they were studied here by an HPLC technique. It was found that the main organic oxidation product of bromomalonic acid is bromo-ethene-tricarboxylic acid (BrEETRA), the same compound that is formed when bromomalonic acid is oxidized by Ce4+ (another catalyst of the BZ reaction). Formation of BrEETRA is explained here by a new mechanism that is more realistic than the one suggested earlier. To find any oxidation product of malonic acid in the ferriin-malonic acid reaction was not successful, however. Neither ethane-tetracarboxylic acid (ETA) nor malonyl malonate (MAMA), the usual products of the Ce4+- malonic acid reaction, nor any other organic acid, not even CO2, was found as a product of the reaction. We propose that malonic acid is not oxidized in the ferriin-malonic acid reaction, and it plays only the role of a complex forming catalyst in a process where Fe3+ oxidizes mostly its phenantroline ligand.     

Uncatalyzed reactions in the classical Belousov-Zhabotinsky system. 2. The malonic acid-bromate reaction in acidic media

The title reaction was studied with various techniques in 1 M sulfuric acid, a usual medium for the oscillatory Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction. It was found to be a more complex process than the bromomalonic acid (BrMA)-BrO3- reaction studied previously in the first part of this work. Malonic acid (MA) can react with acidic bromate by two parallel mechanisms. The main aim of the present research was to determine the mechanisms, the rate laws, and the rate constants for these parallel channels. In one reaction channel the first molecular products are glyoxalic acid (GOA) and CO2 while in the other channel mesoxalic acid (MOA) is the first molecular intermediate, that is, no CO2 is formed in this step. To prove these two independent routes specific colorimetric techniques were developed to determine GOA and MOA selectively. The rate of the GOA channel was determined by following the rate of the carbon dioxide evolution characteristic for this reaction route. In this step, regarding it as an overall process, one MA is oxidized to GOA and CO2 and one BrO3- is reduced to HOBr, which forms BrMA with another MA. The initial rate of the GOA channel is a bilinear function of the initial MA and BrO3- concentrations with a second-order rate constant k(GOA)= 2.4 x 10(-7) M(-1) s(-1). The rate of the other channel was calculated from the rate of the BrO3- consumption measured in separate experiments, assuming that the measured depletion is a sum of two separate terms reflecting the consumptions due to the two independent channels. In the MOA channel one MA is oxidized to MOA and one BrO3- is consumed while another MA is brominated as in the GOA channel. It was found that the initial rate of the MOA channel is also a bilinear function of the MA and BrO3- concentrations with a second-order rate constant k(MOA)= 2.46 x 10(-6) M(-1) s(-1). Separate chemical mechanisms are suggested for both channels. In all of the various bromate-substrate reactions of these mechanisms oxygen atom transfer from the bromate to the substrate occurs generating bromous acid intermediate. This can be of high importance in BZ systems as bromous acid is the autocatalytic intermediate there. GOA and MOA also can be oxidized by acidic bromate but a study of these reactions will be published later.     

Ozonolysis of vinyl compounds,CH2=CH-X,in aqueous solution--the chemistries of the ensuing formyl compounds and hydroperoxides

Reactions of ozone with some vinyl compounds of the general structure CH2=CH-X were studied in aqueous solution. Rate constants (in brackets, unit: dm3 mol-1 s-1) were determined: acrylonitrile (670), vinyl acetate (1.6 x 10(5)), vinylsulfonic acid (anion, 8.3 x 10(3)), vinyl phenylsulfonate (ca. 200), vinyl diethylphosphonate (3.3 x 10(3)), vinylphosphonic acid (acid, 1 x 10(4); mono-anion, 2.7 x 10(4); di-anion, 1 x 10(5)), vinyl bromide (1 x 10(4)). The main pathway leads to the formation of HOOCH2OH and HC(O)X. As measured by stopped flow with conductometric detection, the latter one may undergo rapid hydrolysis by water, e.g. HC(O)CN (3 s-1). Other HC(O)X hydrolyse much slower, e.g. HC(O)PO3(Et)2 (7 x 10(-3) s-1) and HC(O)P(OH)O2- (too slow to be measured). The OH(-)-induced hydrolyses range from ca. 5 dm3 mol-1 s-1 [HC(O)PO(3)2-] to 3.8 x 10(5) dm3 mol-1 s-1 [HC(O)CN]. HC(O)Br mainly decomposes rapidly (too fast for the determination of the rate) into CO and Br- plus H+, and the competing hydrolysis is of minor importance (3.7%). The slow hydrolysis of HC(O)PO(3)2- at pH 10.2, where HOOCH2OH is rapidly decomposed into CH2O plus H2O2, allows an H2O2-induced decomposition (k = 260 dm3 mol-1 s-1) to take place. Formate and phosphate are the final products.     

Bromide control, bifurcation and activation in the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction

The unstirred, ferroin (Fe(phen)3(2+)) catalyzed Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction is the prototype oscillatory chemical system. Reaction media with added Br(-) appear red (reduced, low [Fe(phen)3(3+)]) during an induction period of several minutes, followed by the "spontaneous" formation of "pacemaker" sites, which oscillate between a blue, oxidized state (high [Fe(phen)3(3+)]) and the red, reduced state and generate target patterns of concentric, outwardly moving waves of oxidation (blue). Auto-oscillatory behavior is also seen in the Oregonator model of Field, Koros and Noyes (FKN), a robust, reduced model that captures qualitative BZ kinetics in the auto-oscillatory regime. However, the Oregonator model predicts a blue (oxidized) induction phase. Here we develop a generalized Oregonator-like model with no explicit bifurcation parameter that yields the observed transition from a red initial state to oscillatory dynamics, and displays a new bifurcation mechanism not seen in the original Oregonator.     

Photocatalytic degradation of aniline at the interface of TiO2 suspensions containing carbonate ions

The degradation of aniline has been investigated using aqueous TiO2 suspensions containing carbonate ions as photocatalyst. The addition of carbonate to Degussa P-25 increased the number of active adsorption sites at its surface. For the TiO2 suspensions containing carbonate ions the intensity of adsorption of aniline increased to 6.9 x 10(2) from 5.5 x 10(2) mol(-1) dm(3) in case of bare TiO2 suspensions. This in turn results in the increased interfacial interaction of the photogenerated charge carriers with the adsorbed aniline and thus enhancing the rate of its photodecomposition to 6.5 x 10(-6) mol dm(-3) s(-1) compared to 2.7 x 10(-6) mol dm(-3) s(-1) in the absence of Na(2)CO(3). The maximum efficiency of this photocatalyst has been obtained upon addition of 0.11 mol dm(-3) of Na(2)CO(3) at pH 10.8. The photocatalytic action is understood by the simultaneous interaction of intermediates, *OH and CO*-(3), and their reactivity with aniline. Azobenzene, p-benzoquinone, nitrobenzene, and NH(3) have been identified as the major products of the photooxidation of aniline. Both the reactant and products have been followed kinetically. The photodegradation follows Langmuir-Hinshelwood Model. The mechanism of the occurring reactions has been analyzed and discussed. In the presence of Na(2)CO(3), 3 x 10(-3) mol dm(-3) of aniline could be photodegraded completely in about 6 h while all organic intermediates decomposed completely within about 10 h.