Deuterium isotope effect on the induction period of the cerium catalyzed Belousov–Zhabotinsky reaction

In this work we present results about the deuterium isotopic effect on the global kinetics of a cerium catalyzed Belousov–Zhabotinsky reaction. A nonlinear dependence of the induction period upon the percentage of deuterated reactants was found in batch conditions. In order to understand this result, we investigated two reaction pathways responsible for the length of the induction period, namely: (a) the reaction between the enolic form of the malonic acid with molecular bromine and (b) the oxidation of malonic acid by the Ce(IV) ion. In both cases we obtained a linear dependence of the kinetic constants on the percentage of deuterated reactants. Nevertheless, by inserting the experimental values in the MBM (Marburg–Budapest–Missoula) model, we were able to qualitatively simulate the observed trend of the induction period.