TURING STRUCTURES - PROGRESS TOWARD A ROOM-TEMPERATURE, CLOSED-SYSTEM

There are many parallels between the study of temporal oscillation in homogeneous chemical systems and of Turing patterns in reaction-diffus ion systems. We discuss recent progress toward constructing a system t hat displays Turing structures under conditions suitable for a lecture demonstration. Such a system would play a role similar to that of the Belousov-Zhabotinsky oscillating reaction. We examine the prototype c hlorite-iodide-malonic acid and related reactions, mathematical models , methods for designing new reactions that exhibit Turing structures a nd an approach to generating Turing structures in a closed system.