On the mechanism of oscillations in three-phase system containing cationic surfactant and nitrobenzene liquid membrane

Oscillations of electrochemical potential difference between donor and acceptor aqueous phases of nitrobenzene oscillator containing hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide were observed. It was shown that this potential difference is composed of two-phase boundary potentials between a membrane and an appropriate aqueous phase. It appears that oscillations occur at an aqueous acceptor/membrane interface. They are caused by adsorption/desorption processes of surfactant ions pairs with bromide or picrate followed by their transfer to the acceptor phase. The processes taking part in three stages of oscillation mechanism were suggested. (authors)