Optical modification of wave dynamics in a surface layer of the Mn-catalyzed Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction

The effect of visible light on a thin layer of Mn-catalyzed Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction solution covered with a Ru(bpy)32+ monolayer is investigated. Intense illumination strongly affects the spatiotemporal behavior of chemical waves on the monolayer surface, inducing counterpropagating or phase-shifted wave pecies in the illuminated area. The illumination effect is observed only in a surface layer of the solution, which implies that some photochemical reactions at the monolayer-liquid interface play an important role. These experimental results are compared with numerical simulations based on the Oregonator model.