Effect of oxygen on the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction at low cerium concentrations

Experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of oxygen on the cerium-catalyzed Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction at low catalyst concentrations. Results suggested that the decrease in average Ce4+ concentration in the presence of oxygen is a property of the MA/Ce4+ system involving malonyl radicals. Moreover, the effect of oxygen on the mechanism of oxidation of malonic acid by Ce4+ in acidic medium is significantly affected by the presence of bromate.