title: Reaction-diffusion dynamics: confrontation between theory and experiment in a microfluidic reactor.
abstract: We confront, quantitatively, the theoretical description of the reaction-diffusion process of a second-order reaction to experiment. The reaction at work is Ca(2+)/CaGreen, a fluorescent tracer for calcium. The reactor is a T-shaped microchannel, 10 microm deep, 200 microm wide, and 2 cm long. The experimental measurements are compared with the two-dimensional numerical simulation of the reaction-diffusion equations. We find good agreement between theory and experiment. From this study, one may propose a method of measurement of various quantities, such as the kinetic rate of the reaction, in conditions yet inaccessible to conventional methods.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Physique Statistique, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris, France. baroud@ladhyx.polytechnique.fr
authors.forename: Charles N
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Baroud
authors.forename: Fridolin
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Okkels
authors.forename: Laure
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ménétrier
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tabeling
mesh_terms: D001703:Biophysics / Q000379:methods*; D002118:Calcium / Q000737:chemistry*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004058:Diffusion; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007700:Kinetics; D044085:Microfluidics; D015233:Models, Statistical; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000494:pharmacology; D055585:Physical Phenomena; D010825:Physics; D012212:Rheology
chemical_list: D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D009930:Organic Chemicals; C071336:calcium green; D002118:Calcium