LED-based multibeam photoacoustics combined with electrical circuit-based modeling for the analysis of multispecies mass transport through thin membranes

Abstract

This work develops photoacoustic-based experimental methods for comprehensive characterization of multispecies mass transport from donor compartments to thin-membrane acceptor systems in perfect contact, supported by a dedicated mass transfer modeling framework. Multibeam configurations are implemented in photoacoustic setups operating in front-side detection and diffuse-reflection geometries. The setups are calibrated and adjusted prior to measurements by means of transmission-mode photoacoustic experiments conducted under steady-state conditions. Finally, the methodologies were applied to a model system undergoing photoinduced decay, enabling characterization of bulk transport kinetics as well as interfacial equilibration monitored through time-dependent changes in interfacial reflectivity. For the analysis of bulk transport data, a lumped electrical-circuit (EC) model is introduced. The model is formulated in tableau form, linking species population dynamics to an interaction matrix representing mass-transport couplings consistent with the underlying diffusion-reaction framework. A simplified approximation of the model is further proposed and validated against experimental results. The combined experimental-modeling framework provides an effective approach for quantitative analysis of coupled diffusion, reaction, and interfacial processes in thin-membrane systems.