The computer-aided design of a new hydrodynamic device for studying mechanisms of chemical transfer across the liquid|liquid interface

This article outlines the computer-aided design and development of a new hydrodynamic device for investigating the transfer of chemical species between two immiscible liquids. The technique is based on the confluence reactor design, recently introduced for mechanistic and kinetic analysis in single-phase solvent systems. In this article the formulation, numerical procedures and simulation results are presented for the device development. Finite element simulations are presented to establish the fluid dynamic properties of the solvents within the device. In addition, the concentration distribution and current/voltage characteristics of electroactive species introduced under mass transport limited conditions are presented. The simulations reveal the range of optimal transport rate/cell configurations for efficient detection of species partitioning between the two solvent phases.