Nonequilibrium thermodynamics of non-ideal reaction-diffusion systems: Implications for active self-organization

Area of Science:

• Chemical Physics
• Thermodynamics
• Systems Biology

Background:

• Open reaction-diffusion systems exhibit complex emergent behaviors.
• Understanding the dynamics and thermodynamics of these systems is crucial for fields like systems biology.
• Existing theories often do not fully capture the interplay between non-ideal mixtures and reaction networks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a unified theoretical framework for open non-ideal reaction-diffusion systems.
• To elucidate the mechanisms behind self-organized dissipative structures.
• To quantify the energetic costs associated with maintaining these structures.

Main Methods:

• Integration of Flory-Huggins theories for mixtures with chemical reaction network theories.
• Spatially resolved evaluation of dissipation from reaction and diffusion processes.
• Identification of reaction network classes where diffusion equilibrates within structures.

Main Results:

• The framework elucidates mechanisms for self-organized dissipative structure formation.
• It quantifies dissipation contributions from individual reaction and diffusion steps.
• Spatial configurations are derived by minimizing a kinetic potential, distinct from passive system free energy minimization.

Conclusions:

• The developed theory provides a novel approach to understanding open reaction-diffusion systems.
• It highlights the critical role of reaction networks in powering and shaping dissipative structures.
• This framework enables investigation into the energetic costs of phenomena like phase separation and biomolecular condensate formation.