The Role of Kinetic Asymmetry in Chemical and Thermodynamic Coupling

Abstract

The input of energy can shift an isomerization reaction A⇌B away from equilibrium, but which way, in favor of A or in favor of B? The answer to this question lies in understanding kinetic asymmetry, a concept first discussed in the context of how energy from an oscillating or fluctuating perturbation can act in concert with a catalyst to drive a reaction away from equilibrium. The key theoretical result is the non-equilibrium pumping equality that generalizes the idea of the equilibrium constant to the non-equilibrium steady-state.