Autocatalysis

In chemistry, a chemical reaction is said to be autocatalytic if one of the reaction products is also a catalyst for the same reaction.^[1] Many forms of autocatalysis are recognized.^[2]^[3]

A set of chemical reactions can be said to be "collectively autocatalytic" if a number of those reactions produce, as reaction products, catalysts for enough of the other reactions that the entire set of chemical reactions is self-sustaining given an input of energy and food molecules (see autocatalytic set).

^ "Autocatalytic Reaction". IUPAC Gold Book. 1994.
^ Cite error: The named reference ACIE was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Steinfeld J.I., Francisco J.S. and Hase W.L. Chemical Kinetics and Dynamics (2nd ed., Prentice-Hall 1999) pp. 151–2 ISBN 0-13-737123-3

[1] "Autocatalytic Reaction". IUPAC Gold Book. 1994.

[ACIE-2] Cite error: The named reference ACIE was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[Steinfeld-3] Steinfeld J.I., Francisco J.S. and Hase W.L. Chemical Kinetics and Dynamics (2nd ed., Prentice-Hall 1999) pp. 151–2 ISBN 0-13-737123-3

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