Homochirality and the need of energy

TL;DR

This paper explores how energy fluxes influence the stability of homochirality in chemical systems, emphasizing the importance of energetic considerations in maintaining asymmetry beyond racemization times.

Contribution

It highlights the fundamental role of energy fluxes and object interactions in sustaining stable homochirality in non-equilibrium chemical systems.

Findings

Energy fluxes enable stable non-equilibrium asymmetry.

Strong interactions maintain collective asymmetry.

Weak interactions lead to racemization.

Abstract

The mechanisms for explaining how a stable asymmetric chemical system can be formed from a symmetric chemical system, in the absence of any asymmetric influence other than statistical fluctuations, have been developed during the last decades, focusing on the non-linear kinetic aspects. Besides the absolute necessity of self-amplification processes, the importance of energetic aspects is often underestimated. Going down to the most fundamental aspects, the distinction between a single object -- that can be intrinsically asymmetric -- and a collection of objects -- whose racemic state is the more stable one -- must be emphasized. A system of strongly interacting objects can be described as one single object retaining its individuality and a single asymmetry; weakly or non-interacting objects keep their own individuality, and are prone to racemize towards the equilibrium state. In the presence of energy fluxes, systems can be maintained in an asymmetric non-equilibrium steady-state. Such dynamical systems can retain their asymmetry for times longer than their racemization time.