Reaction Kinetics Research Group

Kinetic study of reactions of sulfur- and halogen-containing inorganic oxyanions. Investigation of exotic kinetic phenomena.

Our research group focuses on experimental and theoretical investigations of redox reactions exhibiting complex kinetic feature. Establishment of the kinetic models is based upon the simultanous evaluation of kinetic curves (many time more than one hundred concentration-time curves measured at different initial conditions are evaluated). The advantage of this method is that the proposed model is capable of quantitative description of the system over a wide concentration range. This method has been succesfully applied many times in the case of complex systems often exhibiting autocatalysis, autoinhibition and supercatalysis. Our current research interest is as follows:

A) Studying the mechanistic characteristics of clock reactions:

Though the term clock reaction has been known since 1886 (H. Landolt’s famous experiment), nowadays these special reactions are still in the focus of interest due to their biological relevance. The task of the student joining the research group is conducting experimental studies of new systems exhibiting clock behavior.

B) Studying autocatalytic reactions:

When a product of a reacting system increases the rate of a reaction studied the phenomenon is called autocatalysis. These reactions are characterized by a fairly slow consumption of the reactants (induction period) because the concentration of the autocatalyst is small. As the reaction proceeds the concentration of the autocatalyst increases, hence the consumption of the reactants (as well as that of the products) increases as well thus the rate of reaction goes through a maximum. As the concentration of the reactants decreases further, the rate also decreases resulting finally in a characteristic S-shaped concentration-time curves. The task of the student joining the research group is to study experimentally new autocatalytic systems.

C) Characteristics of autoinhibtion:

When a product of a reacting system decreases the rate of a reaction studied the phenomenon is called autoinhibition. The origin of autoinhibition may be explained by several mechanistic features. The task of the student joining the research group is to map the characteristics of different kinetic models exhibiting autoinhibition.