Abstract: Motivated by recent findings in chemical and biological experiments
accompanied by an increased interest in the significance of mechano-chemical
coupling, we try to formulate a thermodynamically consistent model gaining
an insight into this phenomena.
First, we shall discuss the use of non-equilibrium thermodynamics, classical
irreversible thermodynamics (CIT), for extensions of Law of Mass Action that
is frequently used in chemical kinetics. Such extensions enable to study the
effects and nature of mechano-chemical coupling.
Further, within GENERIC framework we propose a thermodynamically consistent
way (or ways) of capturing a non-linear coupling between scalar quantities,
namely affinities and scalar mechanical quantities. A modified version of
the law of mass action is obtained which reflects the coupling effects by
modification of reaction constants.
The results from non-linear coupling shall be discussed with CIT
predictions. Also a means of comparison of the effects of different types of
already recognised mechanical stimulation shall be given. As an illustrative
example we shall use the theoretical findings to propose explanation to
recently recognised mechanically induced oscillations in
Belousov-Zhabotinski reactions.