Mechanistic details of the Belousov–Zhabotinskii oscillations

Abstract

Abstract A detailed chemical mechanism for the cerium catalyzed bromination and oxidation of malonic acid by bromate has been developed, and complete numerical solutions have been obtained for the temporal behavior of the concentrations of the intermediate species. The many points of similarity with the experimentally observed initial decay, long quiescence, and abrupt transition to sustained oscillation establish confidence in the essential validity of the proposed mechanism. Close examination of the time dependence of these species concentrations as well as the magnitude of the several reaction channels permits the clarification of the switching mechanism causing theoscillatory behavior of this system. The results appear to exhibit limit cycle behavior, in accordance with theoretical predictions.