Institute of Fundamental Technological Research

The quadratic autocatalytic reaction forms a key step in a number of chemical reaction systems, and traveling waves are observed in such systems. In this study, we investigate the effect of complexation reactions on traveling waves in the quadratic autocatalytic reaction system. More precisely, under the assumption that the complexation reaction is fast relative to the autocatalytic reaction, we show that the governing system is reduced to a two-component reaction-diffusion system with density-dependent diffusivity. Further, the numerical evidence suggests that for some parameter values, a traveling wave solution of this reduced two-component system is nonlinearly selected. This is contrast to that associated with the quadratic autocatalytic reaction (without complexation reactions).

quadratic autocatalysis, complexing agent, fast reaction, traveling waves