| Abstract
| - The application of robotic systems to the study of complexreaction kinetics is considered, using the cascade reactionA → B → C as a working example. Practical problems incalculating the rate constants k1 and k2 for the reactionsA → B and B → C from concentration measurements ofCA, CB, or CC are discussed in the light of the symmetryand invertability of the rate equations. A D-optimalanalysis is used to determine the points in time and thespecies that will give the best (i.e., most accurate) results.When exact data are used, the most robust solutionresults from measuring the pair of concentrations (CA,CC). The system's information function is computedusing numeric methods. This function is then used toestimate the amount of information obtainable from agiven cascade reaction at any given time. The theoreticalfindings are compared with experimental results from aset of two-stage cascade experiments monitored usingUV−visible spectroscopy. Finally, the pros and cons ofusing a single reaction sample to estimate both k1 and k2are discussed.
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