Complex behavior in the formaldehyde-sulfite reaction

The formaldehyde-sulfite reaction is an example of an "acid-to-alkali" clock. It displays an induction period, during which the pH varies only slowly in time, followed by a reaction event, during which the pH increases rapidly by several units. When the reaction is performed in a closed (batch) reactor, the clock time is found to increase with a decrease in initial concentrations of formaldehyde and sulfite and an increase in the total initial concentration of S(IV). At long times, following the clock event, there is a slow decrease in pH. In an open (flow) reactor, bistability between a low-pH steady state (pH approximately 6-8) and a high-pH steady state (pH approximately 11) is observed. Additionally, we report the existence of sustained, small-amplitude oscillations in pH in this system. An extended kinetic mechanism reproduces the batch behavior but fails to account for the complex behavior observed in the flow reactor. Possible additional reaction steps are discussed.