{"paper_id":"1b468414-a183-4de7-9b27-13f1ff0d4e4f","body_text":"Bio-inorganic Lattice Convergence: A Framework of Non-equilibrium Material Phase Transitions in Post-mortem Neural Tissue | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Bio-inorganic Lattice Convergence: A Framework of Non-equilibrium Material Phase Transitions in Post-mortem Neural Tissue Yuang-Chang Tsai This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8629909/v4 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 4 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Show more versions Abstract Conventional neuroscience generally assumes that metabolic arrest leads to rapid and irreversible dissipation of organized neural activity. However, clinical and experimental observations have repeatedly reported transient episodes of pronounced neural synchronization—most notably high-amplitude Gamma-band (30–100 Hz) activity—during the early agonal interval following circulatory collapse. The biophysical significance of these terminal dynamics remains incompletely understood. Here, we propose a phenomenological hypothesis describing a regulated material reorganization process termed bio-inorganic lattice convergence. We hypothesize that the agonal \"Zinc Tsunami\" and Phosphorus surge—forensically confirmed in recovered condensates with a localized +1154.3% Zn2+ enrichment (5.77 ppb) and a stable 18 ppb Phosphorus (P5+) concentration (baseline: 0 ppb)—functions as a catalytic trigger for supramolecular assembly. The resulting 6.6:1 P5+:Zn2+ atomic ratio supports the formation of an extended polyphosphate-based anionic template. As polymer–ion components accumulate, the system creates organized hydration layers that facilitate Grotthuss-mediated protonic tunneling (H+). This medium supports the emergence of collective low-frequency fluctuations near ~0.25 Hz, interpreted as an emergent material resonance during lattice reorganization. Under these conditions, Zn– polyphosphate–short-chain hyaluronan complexes progressively consolidate into mechanically stabilized, highly porous condensates. This framework reframes biological death as a non-equilibrium material transition and provides testable predictions grounded in measurable chemical and physical parameters. Biophysics Chemical Biology Cognitive Neuroscience Bio-inorganic Lattice Convergence Post-mortem Phase Transition Zinc-Polyphosphate sHA Grotthuss Mechanism Full Text Additional Declarations The authors declare no competing interests. Supplementary Files SupplementaryMaterialsS1.pdf ICP-MS reports SupplementaryMaterialsS2.pdf Entity pictures Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 4 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Show more versions Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. 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