General Energetics of Chemical Reactions

Abstract

Previous chapters dealt with the relationship between driving forces and flows of different nature. All of these were vectorial. Frequently, complex systems, such as living cells or industrial plants, also encompass zones in which the scalar processes of chemical reactions take place. To include these chemical-reaction events in the energetic analysis of the systems, it is necessary to fit chemical reactions into the force-flow scheme and the flow-coupling relationship developed for vectorial flows. This is indeed possible and is discussed in this chapter. First, the chemical analogues to vectorial flows and generalized driving forces are defined, followed by discussion of reciprocity relations in a system of simple, coupled chemical reactions.