Compatible Kinetic Model for Quantitative Description of Dual-Clock Behavior of the Complex Thiourea–Iodate Reaction

The thiourea–iodate reaction has been investigated simultaneously by ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Absorbance–time traces measured at the isosbestic point of the iodine–triiodide system have revealed a special dual-clock behavior. During the first kinetic stage of the title reaction, iodine suddenly appears only after a well-defined time lag when thiourea is totally consumed due to the rapid thiourea–iodine system giving rise to a substrate-depletive clock reaction. After this delay, iodine in the system starts to build up suddenly to a certain level, where the system remains for quite a while. During this period, hydrolysis of formamidine disulfide as well as the formamidine disulfide–iodine system along with the Dushman reaction and subsequent reactions of the intermediates governs the parallel formation and disappearance of iodine, resulting in a fairly constant absorbance. The kinetic phase mentioned above is then followed by a more slowly increasing sigmoidally shaped profile that is characteristic of autocatalysis-driven clock reactions. HPLC studies have clearly shown that the thiourea dioxide–iodate system is responsible mainly for the latter characteristics. Of course, depending on the initial concentration ratio of the reactants, the absorbance–time curve may level off or reach a maximum followed by a declining phase. With an excess of thiourea, iodine may completely disappear from the solution as a result of the thiourea dioxide–iodine reaction. In the opposite case, with an excess of iodate, the final absorbance reaches a finite value, and at the same time, iodide ion will disappear completely from the solution due to the well-known Dushman (iodide–iodate) reaction. In addition, we have also shown that in the case of the formamidine disulfide–iodine reaction, unexpectedly the triiodide ion is more reactive toward formamidine disulfide than iodine. This feature can readily be interpreted by the enhancement of the rate of formation of the transition complex containing oppositely charged reactants. A 25-step kinetic model is proposed with just 10 fitted parameters to fit the 68 kinetic traces measured in the thiourea–iodate system and the second, but slower, kinetic phase of the thiourea–iodine reaction. The comprehensive kinetic model is constituted in such a way as to remain coherent in quantitatively describing all of the most important characteristics of the formamidine disulfide–iodine, thiourea dioxide–iodine, and thiourea dioxide–iodate systems.