{
  "abstract": "Intramolecular electron transport in biological systems is typically described as a diffusive hopping process, according to the semi-classical rate theories of Marcus and Hopfield combined with classical Pauli-type master equations. However, the possibility that non-trivial quantum mechanical effects could play a functional role in the transport dynamics in certain biomolecular processes has attracted increasing attention. Here, we extend the quantum mechanical model of open system dynamics by the Lindblad equation to a key biological component, the long chains of redox centers based on iron-sulfur clusters or heme groups that are widespread in many biological organisms, where they realize the cellular respiration. This approach allows to explore a wide range of physical parameters, showing key features of electron transport in these multi-domain protein structures. We pay particular attention to heat and entropy transfer between the electrons and the protein bath, which constitutes a benchmark of physical realism for the models. Electron currents, average transfer times and relative efficiency of the transport process are also explicitly characterized.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": "2607.09728",
  "author_total": 3,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Fabrizio Cleri"
    },
    {
      "name": "Ralf Blossey"
    },
    {
      "name": "Stefano Giordano"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/akbyw16z30azp.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.48550/arxiv.2607.09728",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "akbyw16z30azp",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2607.09728",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC-SA-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC-SA 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": "CC0-1.0",
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "arxiv",
      "cond-mat.mes-hall"
    ],
    [
      "arxiv",
      "physics.chem-ph"
    ],
    [
      "arxiv",
      "q-bio.MN"
    ],
    [
      "arxiv",
      "quant-ph"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "3109|Advanced Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7168236976",
  "pdf_url": "https://arxiv.org/pdf/2607.09728",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-09-25",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/akbyw16z30azp.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:24:52Z",
      "native_id": "2607.09728",
      "source": "arxiv",
      "url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2607.09728"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "arxiv:q-bio.MN",
      "subfield": "systems-synthetic"
    },
    {
      "field": "chemistry",
      "origin": "arxiv:physics.chem-ph",
      "subfield": "physical"
    },
    {
      "field": "physics",
      "origin": "arxiv:cond-mat.mes-hall",
      "subfield": "condensed-matter"
    },
    {
      "field": "physics",
      "origin": "arxiv:quant-ph",
      "subfield": "quantum"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Quantum Thermodynamics of Electron Transport along Chains of Redox Centers",
  "title_text": "Quantum Thermodynamics of Electron Transport along Chains of Redox Centers",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:24:58Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/akbyw16z30azp",
  "venue": "arXiv",
  "versions": []
}