PHOTOINDUCED FORMATION OF SPATIAL PATTERNS IN THE BELOUSOV-ZHABOTINSKII REACTION

New patterns of chemical waves are induced on illumination of the Ru(bpy)32+-catalyzed Belousov-Zhabotinskii reaction system. Stable waves are successively initiated at the boundary between the illuminated and shadow regions of a thin layer of the reactant solution. The period of wave generation is about 47 s. These wave fronts propagate inward in the illuminated field at a nearly constant velocity of 3.4 mm/min and finally disappear at the center of their profiles. We have been able to generate square and triangular waves also, which are the first examples of traveling chemical waves moving as straight lines. © 1990 American Chemical Society.