autocatalytische
Autocatalytic, or autocatalytische in German, describes processes in which a product of a reaction acts as a catalyst for the same reaction or for a subsequent step in the same network. In such systems, the product promotes its own production, creating a self-amplifying cycle. The term is used in chemistry, systems chemistry, and origin-of-life studies to denote self-sustaining reaction dynamics.
In a simple autocatalytic reaction, the catalyst is generated as part of the reaction sequence, and the
Autocatalytic systems have broad implications for understanding how complex chemical networks can emerge and sustain themselves.
In German-language texts, the adjective autocatalytische is used to describe such reactions or networks. See also