Publication Info
Type Article
Year 2004
Venue J. Phys. Chem. A, 108: 1325-1332.
DOI 10.1021/jp0358883
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Article

Microfluidic devices for the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction

Ginn BT, Steinbock B, Kahveci M, Steinbock O

2004 — J. Phys. Chem. A, 108: 1325-1332.


Citation (APA)

Ginn BT, Steinbock B, Kahveci M, Steinbock O (2004). Microfluidic devices for the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction. J. Phys. Chem. A, 108: 1325-1332. https://doi.org/10.1021/jp0358883

Abstract

We describe an experimental methodology for the study of chemical self-organization in micropatterned reaction systems. Our approach is based on office-printer-assisted soft lithography and allows the fabrication of centimeter-scale devices with reactor units as small as 50 $\mu$m. The devices are made from the elastomeric material poly(dimethylsiloxane) and are filled with a modified Belousov−Zhabotinsky solution. This excitable reaction−diffusion medium employs 1,4-cyclohexanedione as a bubble-free organic substrate and Fe(II)[batho(SO$^{3}$)$^{2}$]$^{3}$ as a high-absorbance redox catalyst/indicator. Chemical wave propagation is affected by the loss of bromine from the aqueous phase into the elastomer matrix. The strength of this activating process depends on the local surface-to-volume ratio and can increase the wave velocity by a factor of 2. For devices with gridlike reactor networks, we observe a pronounced deformation of target patterns and the pinning of spiral waves to single elastomer obstacles as well as to obstacle clusters.

BibTeX

@article{bc, title = {Microfluidic devices for the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction}, author = {Ginn BT, Steinbock B, Kahveci M, Steinbock O}, year = {2004}, journal = {J. Phys. Chem. A, 108: 1325-1332.}, doi = {10.1021/jp0358883}, abstract = {We describe an experimental methodology for the study of chemical self-organization in micropatterned reaction systems. Our approach is based on office-printer-assisted soft lithography and allows the fabrication of centimeter-scale devices with reactor units as small as 50 $\mu$m. The devices are made from the elastomeric material poly(dimethylsiloxane) and are filled with a modified Belousov−Zhabotinsky solution. This excitable reaction−diffusion medium employs 1,4-cyclohexanedione as a bubble-free organic substrate and Fe(II)[batho(SO$^{3}$)$^{2}$]$^{3}$ as a high-absorbance redox catalyst/indicator. Chemical wave propagation is affected by the loss of bromine from the aqueous phase into the elastomer matrix. The strength of this activating process depends on the local surface-to-volume ratio and can increase the wave velocity by a factor of 2. For devices with gridlike reactor networks, we observe a pronounced deformation of target patterns and the pinning of spiral waves to single elastomer obstacles as well as to obstacle clusters.} }