Time-Resolved Chemical Logic in Dissipative Multicomponent Systems

Abstract

Multicomponent chemical systems have enabled increasingly complex behavior through self-sorting and communication. In most cases, however, these systems operate under equilibrium or quasi-equilibrium conditions, where outputs are defined by stable states. A different regime emerges when multicomponent networks are coupled to transient chemical fuels, introducing dissipative operation and time-resolved behavior. Under such conditions, fuel-driven chemical reaction cycles drive ion redistribution, generating transient network states that evolve and relax autonomously, giving rise to dynamic outputs and time-encoded signals. This Review focuses on the emergence of time-resolved chemical logic in dissipative multicomponent systems, with particular emphasis on acid-fuel-driven networks, ion translocation, and time-encoded signaling, including single and multi-pulse (waveform) responses and time-gated catalytic activity. The mechanistic origins of time-resolved behavior, including kinetic asymmetry, competitive binding, and fuel consumption, are discussed, and emerging design principles for programming chemical logic and function in time are outlined, highlighting parallels with biological signaling processes. By linking molecular logic, dissipative operation, and multicomponent communication, this Review highlights how chemical information and function can be programmed through time.