Confocal microscopic measurement of proton diffusion in chemical reacting flow

A simultaneous measurement technique for velocity and pH distributions was developed to investigate proton diffusion in a chemical reacting flow. The present study employed micro-PIV and laser induced fluorescence (LIF) for the velocity and pH measurement, respectively. Two aqueous solutions were merged at the junction of the T-shaped microchannel. Proton concentration profiles for the non-chemical reaction (water and aqueous solution) agree well with theoretical profiles, and profiles for the chemical reaction (Two phosphate buffer solutions with different pH value) indicate the production and extinction of protons which were yielded by the buffering action.