Quantum spin regulates the catalytic cycle beyond binding energy

Conventional catalytic descriptors evaluate symmetric, dissipative responses ($\mathcal{D}$), remaining blind to the antisymmetric, non-dissipative circulation ($\mathcal{L}$) associated with cyclic catalyst turnover. We address this by applying an augmented Onsager operator, $\mathcal{A}=\mathcal{D}+\mathcal{L}$, to catalytic interfaces. Through Onsager–Casimir parity rules, we show that electron spin governs this non-dissipative circulation within the reduced state space, as antisymmetric coupling necessitates a time-reversal-odd coordinate. We map these multi-physical couplings (Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical-Chemical-Electrical-Spin) using a Hasse diagram and introduce a basis-invariant Gateway number to quantify circulation relative to dissipation, thereby expanding standard one-dimensional volcano plots into a two-dimensional activity surface. Using metal–nitrogen single-atom sites on doped carbon as a model, published electronic-structure calculations supply the static response quantities from which both operator components can be constructed. Finally, we propose an explicitly falsifiable experimental test utilising magnetic field modulation near a spin-crossover to probe the effect of quantum spin on this non-dissipative regime.