Bio-inorganic Lattice Convergence: A Framework of Non-equilibrium Material Phase Transitions in Post-mortem Neural Tissue

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.