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  Home > JCE Print > Journal of Chemical Education > Issues > 1995  > August  >
Laboratory Experiments
Chemical Visualization of Boolean Functions: A Simple Chemical Computer
R. Blittersdorf, J. Müller, and F. W. Schneider
Institute of Physical Chemistry, University of Wurzburg, Marcusstrasse 9-11, 97070 Wurzburg, Germany
Cover
August 1995
Vol. 72 No. 8
p. 760
Abstract
We present a chemical realization of the Boolean functions AND, OR, NAND, and NOR with a neutralization reaction carried out in three coupled continuous flow stirred tank reactors (CSTR). Two of these CSTR's are used as input reactors, the third reactor marks the output. The chemical reaction is the neutralization of hydrochloric acid (HCl) with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) in the presence of phenolphtalein as an indicator, which is red in alkaline solutions and colorless in acidic solutions representing the two binary states 1 and 0, respectively. The time required for a "chemical computation" is determined by the flow rate of reactant solutions into the reactors since the neutralization reaction itself is very fast. While the acid flow to all reactors is equal and constant, the flow rate of NaOH solution controls the states of the input reactors. The connectivities between the input and output reactors determine the flow rate of NaOH solution into the output reactor, according to the chosen Boolean function. Thus the state of the output reactor depends on the states of the input reactors.
More Information
*  Citation
 Blittersdorf, R.; MŸller, J.; Schneider, F. W. J. Chem. Educ. 1995 72 760.
*  Keywords
*  History
 Created:
Last Updated:		 10/1/1999
5/22/2006
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