An Oregonator-class model for photoinduced behavior in the Ru(bpy)32+-catalyzed Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction

A modified Oregonator model exhibiting photoinduced behavior in the Ru(bpy)(3)(2+)-catalyzed Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction is presented. We incorporate the concentration of bromomalonic acid as a new variable into the Oregonator model and also take into account two separate photochemical processes: the production of bromide from bromomalonic acid and bromous acid from bromate. The resulting four-variable model can reproduce a variety of photoinduced behavior reported experimentally in both batch and flow systems. The model also exhibits photoinduced chaos in the photosensitive BZ system under certain flowrate and illumination conditions.