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Self Reproducing (RL) Molecular Systems abd Darwinian Chemistry (dm)

Autocatalysis based on molecular recognition is a phenomenon generally associated with molecular replication. In templated autocatalysis, the product selects specific reactants and acts as a template that makes copies of itself. Because the product is self-complementary, product inhibition is an inevitable consequence of template-mediated replication. Here, we introduce an autocatalytic system in which no direct contact exists between reagents and products. Autocatalysis is observed, but the products do not compete for reaction sites; the two species simply exchange residences. The autocatalytic behavior, therefore, is viewed more correctly as an emergent property of the system as a whole, rather than a property of specific molecules within the system