8
The History of Oscillatory Reactions
ction rea
elous B e o Th
abotisnk h Z y v
The story of development and discovery of a new field of chemistry through rejection, failed publications and ultimately, scientific collaboration. The Belousov- Zhabotisnky reaction is an equilibrium reactions are a well known field of oscillating reaction that was discovered by chemistry in the modern day; since the early Soviet scientist Boris P. Belousov in 1951, when 19th century, oscillating reactions have had he was trying to investigate the reaction applications in electrochemical cells which mechanisms of the citric acid cycle using produce alternating current (G.T. Winfree), to Cerium ions, citric acid and bromate ions. He measuring rates of chromium dissolution stumbled upon a reaction which seemed to (Ostwald). show
periodic
colour
changes,
which Although oscillating reactions have been
continued for an hour before finally coming to around for such a long time, our understanding a stop. This finding was fascinating as this of them was a lot different back in the days of seemed to directly violate the second law of G.T. Winfree. For one, it was a widely accepted thermodynamics.
belief that oscillating reactions had to be
Compared to the 1950s, oscillatory and non- heterogeneous, meaning the reactants had to
