The DOI matches its Crossref record; 21 of the 21 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
A Toy Model for the Generation of Homochirality during Polymerization
Abstract
This article examines a toy model of polymerization which though artificial and unphysical has some interesting chiral features. Two key elements, enantiomeric cross inhibition and chiral feedback, are shown to lead to bifurcation, so that the end product can become homo-chiral. We find that the bifurcation is driven by the cross-inhibition but is not strongly dependant on its strength, which for perfect feedback fidelity mainly determines the time scale. We also find that bifurcation with a high degree of chiral polarization remains even when the fidelity of the chiral feedback is substantially less than unity. For small values of the feedback fidelity the polarization drops below unity and at a critical value falls sharply to zero in a 'phase transition'. The value at which this happens depends on the cross-inhibition in a complex way. By comparing the behaviour of polymers differing only in their final length, N, we find that the bifurcation process is enhanced as N increases. The symmetry breaking which we find is clearly a particular manifestation of general bifurcation theory. In addition it has the specific interest that, at least in our model, long homochiral polymers are possible even in the presence of substantial enantiomeric cross-inhibition.
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“The required conditions are sufficiently high values of the kinetic constants associated with enantioselective production of the enantiomers and cross-inhibition.”
From Possible chemical and physical scenarios towards biological homochirality (2022) · cites this paper as [569]
In the citing paper
“By introducing a slight difference in the initial concentration values of the (R) and (S) enantiomers, bifurcation 304 readily occurs, i.e. polymers embedding a single enantiomer are formed.”
From Possible chemical and physical scenarios towards biological homochirality (2022) · cites this paper as [569]
Citations
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Metadata
- Authors
- Sandars, P. G. H.
- Affiliations
- University of Oxford (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Sandars, P. G. H.
- Venue
- Origins of life and evolution of the biosphere
- Published
- 2003-12
- Volume
- 33
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 575-587
- ISSN
- 0169-6149 (ISSN-L)
- 1573-0875
- OpenAlex
- W1654101816
- Cited by
- 134
- References
- 21
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 4 · 2012: 14
- FWCI
- 3.67
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- Locations
- Origins of Life and Evolution of Biospheres (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Origins and Evolution of Life
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › RNA and protein synthesis mechanisms
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Evolution and Genetic Dynamics
- Keywords
- homochirality, origin of homochirality, polymerization, bifurcation, symmetry breaking, phase transitions, polymer length, toy model
- MeSH terms
- Mathematics, Models, Chemical, Molecular Conformation, Polymers, Stereoisomerism
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