A new hydrodynamic strategy for studying liquid vertical bar liquid reactivity

This article outlines the development of a new hydrodynamic device for prob ing reactions which occur when ions or uncharged molecules are transferred between an organic and an aqueous solvent. The technique employs a modified form of the confluence reactor, a device recently introduced for mechanist ic and kinetic analysis in single phase solvent systems. In this article th e cell design, operating conditions and experimental application is describ ed for the transfer of iodine from an organic to an aqueous solution contai ning iodide ions. Specifically, voltammetric detection is performed in the aqueous phase, with the transport limited current monitored as a function o f volume flow rate, using a downstream platinum electrode. The measurements reveal the ability of the technique to access information regarding the tr ansfer of neutral species across the interface between immiscible liquids. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.