A Chemical Oscillator Based on the Photoreduction of 2-Methyl-1,4-benzoquinone

This study investigated bromate-2-methyl-1,4-benzoquinone photoreaction in a batch reactor, in which the photoreduction of 2-methyl-1,4-benzoquinone plays a vital role in initiating and sustaining the reaction process. Transient oscillatory phenomena are observed over broad reaction conditions, but a phase diagram in the bromate and sulfuric acid concentration plane shows that the nonlinear behavior is more sensitive to the ratio of bromate and acid than their absolute concentrations. Light intensity and the photosensitive substance 2-methyl-1,4-benzoquinone exhibited opposite effects on the induction time of these oscillations, implying that illumination does more than just reduce 2-methyl-benzoquinone. The oscillatory behavior has been qualitatively reproduced with a generic model developed for bromate-aromatic compounds systems.