Reaction route graphs. III. Non-minimal kinetic mechanisms

The concept of reaction route (RR) graphs introduced recently by us for kinetic mechanisms that produce minimal graphs is extended to the problem of non-minimal kinetic mechanisms for the case of a single overall reaction (OR). A RR graph is said to be minimal if all of the stoichiometric numbers in all direct RRs of the mechanism are equal to +/-1 and non-minimal if at least one stoichiometric number in a direct RR is non-unity, e.g., equal to +/-2. For a given mechanism, four unique topological characteristics of RR graphs are defined and enumerated, namely, direct full routes (FRs), empty routes (ERs), intermediate nodes (INs), and terminal nodes (TNs). These are further utilized to construct the RR graphs. One algorithm involves viewing each IN as a central node in a RR sub-graph. As a result, the construction and enumeration of RR graphs are reduced to the problem of balancing the peripheral nodes in the RR sub-graphs according to the list of FRs, ERs, INs, and TNs. An alternate method involves using an independent set of RRs to draw the RR graph while satisfying the INs and TNs. Three examples are presented to illustrate the application of non-minimal RR graph theory.