Kinetic studies of cascade reactions in high-throughput systems

The application of robotic systems to the study of complex reaction kinetics is considered, using the cascade reaction A --> B --> C as a working example. Practical problems in calculating the rate constants k1 and k2 for the reactions A --> B and B --> C from concentration measurements of CA, CB, or CC are discussed in the light of the symmetry and invertability of the rate equations. A D-optimal analysis is used to determine the points in time and the species that will give the best (i.e., most accurate) results. When exact data are used, the most robust solution results from measuring the pair of concentrations (CA, CC). The system's information function is computed using numeric methods. This function is then used to estimate the amount of information obtainable from a given cascade reaction at any given time. The theoretical findings are compared with experimental results from a set of two-stage cascade experiments monitored using UV-visible spectroscopy. Finally, the pros and cons of using a single reaction sample to estimate both k1 and k2 are discussed.