Gibbs energy-rich compounds

Here a model of glycolysis in yeast [26] is reduced using the model reduction method outlined above. Glycolysis is the well known process that uses glucose to produce Gibbs energy-rich compounds such as pyruvate, and is depicted in Fig. 15.1. 

Whereas a thermal reaction from R to P2 or P3 involves an increase in Gibbs free energy and so will not occur spontaneously, the photochemical reactions from R involve a decrease in free energy and so are more likely to occur spontaneously. This allows the photochemical production of so-called energy-rich or strained compounds such as P2 and P3 to be carried out at low temperatures, as these products may undergo decomposition at higher temperatures. 

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