Energetic and Entropic Analysis of Mirror Symmetry Breaking Processes in a Recycled Microreversible Chemical System

TL;DR

This paper provides a thermodynamic analysis of recycled microreversible chemical systems, elucidating how energy transfer and distribution lead to stable asymmetric states relevant to the origin of biological homochirality.

Contribution

It offers the first comprehensive energetic and entropic analysis of recycled microreversible systems, explaining the emergence of stable non-racemic states.

Findings

Energy transfer drives cycle competition.

Stable asymmetric states are maintained by energy input.

Thermodynamics explains homochirality emergence.

Abstract

Understanding how biological homochirality emerged remains a challenge for the researchers interested in the origin of life. During the last decades, stable non-racemic steady states of nonequilibrium chemical systems have been discussed as a possible response to this problem. In line with this framework, a description of recycled systems was provided in which stable products can be activated back to reactive compounds. The dynamical behaviour of such systems relies on the presence of a source of energy, leading to the continuous maintaining of unidirectional reaction loops. A full thermodynamic study of recycled systems, composed of microreversible reactions only, is presented here, showing how the energy is transferred and distributed through the system, leading to cycle competitions and the stabilization of asymmetric states.