COMPUTER-SIMULATION OF SPATIAL COUPLING IN CHEMICAL OSCILLATIONS OF CO OXIDATION ON 2 PD(110) SINGLE-CRYSTALS

Abstract

Gas-phase coupling between two Pd(110) single crystals in a UHV CO oxidation reaction in a continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) has been simulated by solving gas-phase mass balance equations with kinetic rate equations. This work was motivated by the experimental results which show that the frequency of partial pressure change in carbon monoxide is the same as the frequency of the work function change in the oscillation region and that the coupling between the two crystals occurred entirely via CO partial pressure. The computer simulation described here gives qualitative agreement with the experimental results. The change in the oscillatory region originating from the coupling of chemical oscillators which are slightly different to each other is successfully demonstrated by this model. The coupling of two oscillators having a simple periodic oscillation to produce mixed-mode oscillation was also successfully simulated.