Study of an A+2B--->C Reaction-Diffusion System with Initially Separated Components

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe presence of a reaction front is a characteristic feature of a variety of physical, chemical and biological processes. A chemical reaction exhibits a front (spatially localized region where concentration of product is non zero), provided the diffusing reactants are separated in space. We study the reaction front dynamics of a termolecular A+2B--->C reaction with initially separated components in a capillary. The reaction tetra+2Ni2+--->1:2 complex is used, where ‘tetra’ is disodium ethyl bis(5-tetrazolylazo) acetate trihydrate. We measure and compare with theory the dynamic quantities that characterize the kinetic behavior of the system: the global reaction rate R(t), the location of the reaction center xf(t), the front's width w(t), and the local production rate R(xf,t). The non-classical nature of this dynamical system is confirmed.