How is entropy production rate related to chemical reaction rate?

TL;DR

This paper investigates how entropy production rate relates to chemical reaction rates, revealing it is proportional to the square of the reaction velocity only near equilibrium, aiding in understanding steady states.

Contribution

It demonstrates the specific relationship between entropy production rate and reaction velocity in chemical networks, highlighting the conditions near equilibrium.

Findings

Entropy production rate is proportional to the square of reaction velocity near equilibrium.

The relationship does not hold for arbitrary non-equilibrium steady states.

The study provides insights into the nature of steady states and the minimum entropy production principle.

Abstract

The entropy production rate is a key quantity in irreversible thermodynamics. In this work, we concentrate on the realization of entropy production rate in chemical reaction systems in terms of the experimentally measurable reaction rate. Both triangular and linear networks have been studied. They attain either thermodynamic equilibrium or a non-equilibrium steady state, under suitable external constraints. We have shown that the entropy production rate is proportional to the square of the reaction velocity only around equilibrium and not any arbitrary non-equilibrium steady state. This feature can act as a guide in revealing the nature of a steady state, very much like the minimum entropy production principle. A discussion on this point has also been presented.