Temperature-Induced Bifurcations in the Cu(II)-Catalyzed and Catalyst-Free Hydrogen Peroxide-Thiosulfate Oscillating Reaction

We study the oxidation dynamics of thiosulfate ions by hydrogen peroxide in the presence of trace amounts of copper(II) using the reaction temperature as a control parameter in a continuous flow stirred tank reactor. The system displays period-doubling, aperodic, and mixed-mode oscillations at different temperatures. We are able to simulate these complex dynamics with a model proposed by Kurin-Csorgei et al. The model suggests that the Cu(2+)-containing term is not essential for the observed oscillations. We find small-amplitude and high-frequency oscillations in the catalyst-free experimental system. The reaction between H(2)O(2) and S(2)O(3)(2-) contains the core mechanism of the H(2)O(2)-S(2)O(3)(2-)-Cu(2+) and H(2)O(2)-S(2)O(3)(2-)-SO(3)(2-) oscillatory systems, while the Cu(2+) and SO(3)(2-) modulate the feedback loops so as to strengthen the oscillatory dynamics.