The quantum-to-classical transducer: A thermodynamic and quantum mechanical framework for the emergence of...

The universal conservation of the Proton-Motive Force (PMF) indicates that the chemiosmotic coupling was a primary requisite for abiogenesis. However, the mechanism governing Kinetic State Selection (KSS)-the process by which specific metabolic pathways were identified within high-dimensional prebiotic chemical spaces-remains a fundamental challenge in evolutionary biology. We introduce the Quantum-to-Classical Transducer (QCT) framework, positioning the PMF as the outcome of a stepwise physical scale-transduction cascade at mineral-organic interfaces. Driven by continuous non-equilibrium electrostatic potentials in the Hadean environment, semi-conductive mineral clusters facilitated electron transfer governed by non-adiabatic quantum kinetics. The transition from coherent sub-atomic tunneling to stable ionic gradients utilizes an Environmentally Assisted Quantum Transport, where aqueous thermal decoherence in metal nanopores forces rapid wave-function localization into thermodynamically favorable redox states. We mathematically estimate that nuclear tunneling provided a significant rate enhancement (10¹³ s^-1), enabling the sampling of dissipative pathways characterized by high reorganization energies that are kinetically inhibited in classical regimes. The discrete quantum of energy released during this subatomic collapse (0.1-0.5 eV) physically translocates a classical proton. The 1836:1 intrinsic mass anisotropy physically prevents the translocated proton from undergoing reverse tunneling across mineral-organic interface and transforms the high-frequency bidirectional electron flux into a stable unidirectional macroscopic chemical gradient. This physical rectification mathematically maximizes Onsager cross-coupling coefficients to achieve Dynamic Kinetic Stability. By providing deterministic physical resolution to the statistical improbabilities identified in stochastic prebiotic models, the QCT defines the PMF as a pre-biotic filter, favoring metabolic routes with optimal dissipative efficiency.