THE BZ REACTION KIT
by NileRed
RECREATE ONE OF THE WEIRDEST CHEMICAL REACTIONS
THE NILERED BZ REACTION KIT
Capture the natural beauty of chemistry yourself with the BZ reaction kit, created by NileRed.
This hands-on kit lets you witness one of chemistry’s most fascinating phenomena – the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction – right before your eyes.
Watch as vibrant colors pulse, swirl and shift in a rhythmic dance, showcasing the mesmerizing world of oscillating reactions.
WHAT's INCLUDED
The chemical compounds needed to run the experiment 8 times, borosilicate labware, protective equipment, a custom NileRed t-shirt, plus a phone stand to film the reaction. After several months of research and development, everything has been well measured and tested to be working.
Over the years, NileRed has learned just how difficult it can be to do chemistry on your own, where this kit is specifically designed to get around all of the headache. Alternatively, doing this reaction yourself would involve scouring the internet for chemicals and many hours of research/preparation, all with no guarantee that you’ll succeed.
Over the years, NileRed has learned just how difficult it can be to do chemistry on your own, where this kit is specifically designed to get around all of the headache. Alternatively, doing this reaction yourself would involve scouring the internet for chemicals and many hours of research/preparation, all with no guarantee that you’ll succeed.
Recreating one of the weirdest reactions
"The moment I saw it, I knew I had to repeat it myself"
“Whether it’s a new reaction, a new material, or a crazy transformation idea, I always find chemistry to be way more interesting when I know that I can use it to do something really cool.
This is why I chose the BZ reaction for this kit. Not only is it unique and fascinating every time, but it’s one of those experiments where the moment I saw it, I knew I had to repeat it myself. This feeling is part of what has inspired me to make videos for over a decade, and it’s why the BZ reaction is the logo of the channel.
With all that being said though, I know how hard it can be to do more advanced chemistry on your own, and the goal of this kit is to remove that barrier. There are so many things to try with this reaction, and I hope that you can experience some of the moments that have made chemistry so exciting for me.”
-NileRed
The Reaction
It took so long to explain the BZ reaction because it's actually a combination of nine different chemical reactions. These reactions repeat in cycles, causing the oscillations, and are made visible by the oxidation and reduction of a compound called ferroin. These cycles make the BZ reaction a little unpredictable, and depending on how the solution is mixed, it can produce mesmerizing waves, spirals and expanding circles. Overall, the reaction can look completely different from one run to another.
In the early 1950s, Boris Belousov was studying metabolic processes when he stumbled across an unusual chemical reaction. Rather than coming to an end and reaching what is known as equilibrium, the reaction solution instead oscillated between two colors. Oscillating reactions are rare, and only several are known to exist. In fact, at the time of its discovery, a reaction like this was actually considered impossible, and it took over 10 years for the BZ reaction to be recognized as a real phenomenon.
In order to help you recreate the BZ reaction yourself, our team, led by NileRed, set out with a clear goal: to create a high-quality, safe and visually stunning reaction kit that anyone could use, whether they’re educators, students, or science enthusiasts.
The Reaction
In the early 1950s, Boris Belousov was studying metabolic processes when he stumbled across an unusual chemical reaction. Rather than coming to an end and reaching what is known as equilibrium, the reaction solution instead oscillated between two colors. Oscillating reactions are rare, and only several are known to exist. In fact, at the time of its discovery, a reaction like this was actually considered impossible, and it took over 10 years for the BZ reaction to be recognized as a real phenomenon.
It took so long to explain the BZ reaction because it's actually a combination of nine different chemical reactions. These reactions repeat in cycles, causing the oscillations, and are made visible by the oxidation and reduction of a compound called ferroin. These cycles make the BZ reaction a little unpredictable, and depending on how the solution is mixed, it can produce mesmerizing waves, spirals and expanding circles. Overall, the reaction can look completely different from one run to another.
In order to help you recreate the BZ reaction yourself, our team, led by NileRed, set out with a clear goal: to create a high-quality, safe and visually stunning reaction kit that anyone could use, whether they’re educators, students, or science enthusiasts.
FAQ
For any additional questions, please email support@curiositybox.com