A New Versatile Apparatus for Relaxation Kinetics with Shock Waves

Abstract

A new shock wave apparatus uses the discharge of a high voltage capacitor through an organic electrolyte to generate rectangular pressure pulses of typically 8 MPa amplitude and 80 μsec duration. The apparatus permits the study of fast reactions with relaxation times between a few microseconds and about fifty microseconds in any solvent. Measurements on proton transfer reactions in acetonitrile and water are reported.