Toward a systematic determination of complex reaction mechanisms

Given a complex chemical reaction with an unknown or a partially known mechanism, we examine the possibility of determining the essential parts of the mechanism by a number of experimental methods, all of which rely upon the experimental evaluation of the stationary-state Jacobian matrix elements (JMEs). If the response by all species to a pulse perturbation of one of the species can be measured, then it is possible to determine all of the JMEs. A different experimental method, a concentration shift experiment, relies on measuring the change of steady-state concentrations in a chemical reactor after the inflow of each species has been altered. Another technique employs the induction (or cessation) of oscillations caused by a delayed feedback imposed on an inflow species