The Belousov-Zhabotinskii Oscillatory Reaction Involving Some Organic Chiral Substrates

Abstract

Oscillatory systems of the Belousov-Zhabotinskii (BZ) type were studied using the following substrates: D-gluconic and D-galactonic acids, their lactones, and D-glucose and D-galactose. The systems were either nitrogen purged or left undisturbed. It is suggested that during the induction period (IP), reactions occur giving rise to the active substrate in the BZ system which need not be identical with the organic substance with which the oscillatory system starts up. A special dependence of the IP on sulfuric acid concentration was measured, exhibiting a minimum and a maximum; the dependence on perchloric acid concentration displayed a minimum.