The ferroin-catalyzed Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction is a prototypical oscillating chemical reaction system. The unstirred reaction produces waves of blue oxidized ferriin in a red reduced ferroin medium. This occurs after an induction period of approximately 3.5 minutes in a recipe with initially added bromide. The auto-oscillatory/excitable (Showalter) limit of the reaction defines the boundary at which oscillations do or do not occur spontaneously, based on the product of the concentrations of protons (H+) and bromate (BrO3-). Adjusting these species' concentrations caused variations in induction periods, oscillation periods, and excitability. Contrary to other research data, experimental results suggest that the Showalter limit is dependent only on initial bromate concentration, and not pH. Oscillation periods appear to be dependent on pH. Theoretical data, generated using WinPP (an ordinary differential equation (ODE) solver), were produced with differential equation models and compared to experimental data in order to predict the experimental behavior. While theoretical data suggest a linear relationship, experimental data suggest a nonlinear association.

Investigation of the auto-oscillatory/excitable limit of the BZ reaction

245th National Meeting (2013)

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