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| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Preprint |
| Published: |
2025
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.13865 |
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| _version_ | 1866909540941824000 |
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| author | Hirano, Nanako Yoshida, Akira Nakamura, Takenobu Nakagawa, Naoko |
| author_facet | Hirano, Nanako Yoshida, Akira Nakamura, Takenobu Nakagawa, Naoko |
| contents | We demonstrate that autocatalytic reactions, where a product catalyzes its own formation, can be significantly accelerated when the product molecules are indistinguishable from each other. This ``combinatorial enhancement," analogous to the driving force of osmotic pressure, arises from the increased multiplicity of microscopic configurations. We quantify this effect with a free-energy gain, Fgain, and validate our theoretical predictions using molecular dynamics simulations. We also propose an experiment to directly test this phenomenon, potentially providing new insights into self-assembly, biomolecular binding, and other cooperative processes. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2503_13865 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Autocatalysis due to combinatorial enhancement Hirano, Nanako Yoshida, Akira Nakamura, Takenobu Nakagawa, Naoko Statistical Mechanics Chemical Physics We demonstrate that autocatalytic reactions, where a product catalyzes its own formation, can be significantly accelerated when the product molecules are indistinguishable from each other. This ``combinatorial enhancement," analogous to the driving force of osmotic pressure, arises from the increased multiplicity of microscopic configurations. We quantify this effect with a free-energy gain, Fgain, and validate our theoretical predictions using molecular dynamics simulations. We also propose an experiment to directly test this phenomenon, potentially providing new insights into self-assembly, biomolecular binding, and other cooperative processes. |
| title | Autocatalysis due to combinatorial enhancement |
| topic | Statistical Mechanics Chemical Physics |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.13865 |