1
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Banfalvi G. The Origin of RNA and the Formose-Ribose-RNA Pathway. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:6727. [PMID: 38928433 PMCID: PMC11203418 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25126727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2024] [Revised: 06/03/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Prebiotic pre-Darwinian reactions continued throughout biochemical or Darwinian evolution. Early chemical processes could have occurred on Earth between 4.5 and 3.6 billion years ago when cellular life was about to come into being. Pre-Darwinian evolution assumes the development of hereditary elements but does not regard them as self-organizing processes. The presence of biochemical self-organization after the pre-Darwinian evolution did not justify distinguishing between different types of evolution. From the many possible solutions, evolution selected from among those stable reactions that led to catalytic networks, and under gradually changing external conditions produced a reproducible, yet constantly evolving and adaptable, living system. Major abiotic factors included sunlight, precipitation, air, minerals, soil and the Earth's atmosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere. Abiotic sources of chemicals contributed to the formation of prebiotic RNA, the development of genetic RNA, the RNA World and the initial life forms on Earth and the transition of genRNA to the DNA Empire, and eventually to the multitude of life forms today. The transition from the RNA World to the DNA Empire generated new processes such as oxygenic photosynthesis and the hierarchical arrangement of processes involved in the transfer of genetic information. The objective of this work is to unite earlier work dealing with the formose, the origin and synthesis of ribose and RNA reactions that were published as a series of independent reactions. These reactions are now regarded as the first metabolic pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaspar Banfalvi
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Microbiology, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
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2
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Ono C, Sunami S, Ishii Y, Kim HJ, Kakegawa T, Benner SA, Furukawa Y. Abiotic Ribose Synthesis Under Aqueous Environments with Various Chemical Conditions. ASTROBIOLOGY 2024; 24:489-497. [PMID: 38696654 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2023.0071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2024]
Abstract
Ribose is the defining sugar in ribonucleic acid (RNA), which is often proposed to have carried the genetic information and catalyzed the biological reactions of the first life on Earth. Thus, abiological processes that yield ribose under prebiotic conditions have been studied for decades. However, aqueous environments required for the formation of ribose from materials available in quantity under geologically reasonable models, where the ribose formed is not immediately destroyed, remain unclear. This is due in large part to the challenge of analysis of carbohydrates formed under a wide range of aqueous conditions. Thus, the formation of ribose on prebiotic Earth has sometimes been questioned. We investigated the quantitative effects of pH, temperature, cation, and the concentrations of formaldehyde and glycolaldehyde on the synthesis of diverse sugars, including ribose. The results suggest a range of conditions that produce ribose and that ribose could have formed in constrained aquifers on prebiotic Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chinatsu Ono
- Department of Earth Science, Tohoku University, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Japan
| | - Sako Sunami
- Department of Earth Science, Tohoku University, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Japan
| | - Yuka Ishii
- Department of Earth Science, Tohoku University, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Japan
| | - Hyo-Joong Kim
- Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution, Alachua, Florida, USA
- Firebird Biomolecular Sciences LLC, Alachua, Florida, USA
| | - Takeshi Kakegawa
- Department of Earth Science, Tohoku University, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Japan
| | - Steven A Benner
- Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution, Alachua, Florida, USA
- Firebird Biomolecular Sciences LLC, Alachua, Florida, USA
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3
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Ishikawa A, Kebukawa Y, Kobayashi K, Yoda I. Gamma-Ray-Induced Amino Acid Formation during Aqueous Alteration in Small Bodies: The Effects of Compositions of Starting Solutions. Life (Basel) 2024; 14:103. [PMID: 38255718 PMCID: PMC10817335 DOI: 10.3390/life14010103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Organic compounds, such as amino acids, are essential for the origin of life, and they may have been delivered to the prebiotic Earth from extra-terrestrial sources, such as carbonaceous chondrites. In the parent bodies of carbonaceous chondrites, the radioactive decays of short-lived radionuclides, such as 26Al, cause the melting of ice, and aqueous alteration occurs in the early stages of solar system formation. Many experimental studies have shown that complex organic matter, including amino acids and high-molecular-weight organic compounds, is produced by such hydrothermal processes. On the other hand, radiation, particularly gamma rays from radionuclides, can contribute to the formation of amino acids from simple molecules such as formaldehyde and ammonia. In this study, we investigated the details of gamma-ray-induced amino acid formation, focusing on the effects of different starting materials on aqueous solutions of formaldehyde, ammonia, methanol, and glycolaldehyde with various compositions, as well as hexamethylenetetramine. Alanine and glycine were the most abundantly formed amino acids after acid hydrolysis of gamma-ray-irradiated products. Amino acid formation increased with increasing gamma-ray irradiation doses. Lower amounts of ammonia relative to formaldehyde produced more amino acids. Glycolaldehyde significantly increased amino acid yields. Our results indicated that glycolaldehyde formation from formaldehyde enhanced by gamma rays is key for the subsequent production of amino acids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akari Ishikawa
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, Yokohama National University, 79-5 Tokiwadai, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama 240-8501, Japan (K.K.)
| | - Yoko Kebukawa
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, Yokohama National University, 79-5 Tokiwadai, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama 240-8501, Japan (K.K.)
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8551, Japan
| | - Kensei Kobayashi
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, Yokohama National University, 79-5 Tokiwadai, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama 240-8501, Japan (K.K.)
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8551, Japan
| | - Isao Yoda
- Co60 Irradiation Facility, Laboratory for Zero-Carbon Energy, Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan
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4
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Hensinger MJ, Eitzinger A, Trapp O, Ofial AR. Nucleophilicity of 4-(Alkylthio)-3-imidazoline Derived Enamines. Chemistry 2024; 30:e202302764. [PMID: 37850416 PMCID: PMC10962604 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202302764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
Imidazolidine-4-thiones (ITOs) are cyclic, secondary amines that were considered as potential prebiotic organocatalysts for light-driven α-alkylations of aldehydes by bromoacetonitrile (BAN). Recent studies showed that the initially supplied ITOs represent the pre-catalyst because they undergo S-alkylation with BAN to give 4-(alkylthio)-3-imidazolines (TIMs). Given that the same reagent mix that undergoes light-driven α-alkylations is also effective in the dark, we synthesized ten ITO- or TIM-derived enamines of aldehydes and characterized their nucleophilic reactivities by kinetic studies in acetonitrile. The experimental second-order rate constants k2 for reactions of enamines with benzhydrylium ions (reference electrophiles) were evaluated by the Mayr-Patz equation, lg k2 (20 °C)=sN (N+E). The determined nucleophilicities N (and sN ) reveal the reactivity profiles of these enamines under prebiotically relevant conditions as well as their potential for use in organocatalytic synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magenta J. Hensinger
- Department ChemieLudwig-Maximilians-Universtität MünchenButenandtstrasse 5–1381377MünchenGermany
| | - Andreas Eitzinger
- Department ChemieLudwig-Maximilians-Universtität MünchenButenandtstrasse 5–1381377MünchenGermany
| | - Oliver Trapp
- Department ChemieLudwig-Maximilians-Universtität MünchenButenandtstrasse 5–1381377MünchenGermany
- Max-Planck-Institute for AstronomyKönigstuhl 1769117HeidelbergGermany
| | - Armin R. Ofial
- Department ChemieLudwig-Maximilians-Universtität MünchenButenandtstrasse 5–1381377MünchenGermany
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5
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Furukawa Y, Saigusa D, Kano K, Uruno A, Saito R, Ito M, Matsumoto M, Aoki J, Yamamoto M, Nakamura T. Distributions of CHN compounds in meteorites record organic syntheses in the early solar system. Sci Rep 2023; 13:6683. [PMID: 37095091 PMCID: PMC10125961 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-33595-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Carbonaceous meteorites contain diverse soluble organic compounds. These compounds formed in the early solar system from volatiles accreted on tiny dust particles. However, the difference in the organic synthesis on respective dust particles in the early solar system remains unclear. We found micrometer-scale heterogeneous distributions of diverse CHN1-2 and CHN1-2O compounds in two primitive meteorites: the Murchison and NWA 801, using a surface-assisted laser desorption/ionization system connected to a high mass resolution mass spectrometer. These compounds contained mutual relationships of ± H2, ± CH2, ± H2O, and ± CH2O and showed highly similar distributions, indicating that they are the products of series reactions. The heterogeneity was caused by the micro-scale difference in the abundance of these compounds and the extent of the series reactions, indicating that these compounds formed on respective dust particles before asteroid accretion. The results of the present study provide evidence of heterogeneous volatile compositions and the extent of organic reactions among the dust particles that formed carbonaceous asteroids. The compositions of diverse small organic compounds associated with respective dust particles in meteorites are useful to understand different histories of volatile evolution in the early solar system.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Daisuke Saigusa
- Laboratory of Biomedical and Analytical Sciences, Faculty of Pharma-Science, Teikyo University, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Integrative Genomics, Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Kuniyuki Kano
- Department of Health Chemistry, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Akira Uruno
- Department of Integrative Genomics, Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Ritsumi Saito
- Department of Integrative Genomics, Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Motoo Ito
- Kochi Institute for Core Sample Research, X-star, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, Nankoku, Japan
| | | | - Junken Aoki
- Department of Health Chemistry, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masayuki Yamamoto
- Department of Integrative Genomics, Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Tomoki Nakamura
- Department of Earth Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
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6
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Diederich P, Geisberger T, Yan Y, Seitz C, Ruf A, Huber C, Hertkorn N, Schmitt-Kopplin P. Formation, stabilization and fate of acetaldehyde and higher aldehydes in an autonomously changing prebiotic system emerging from acetylene. Commun Chem 2023; 6:38. [PMID: 36813975 PMCID: PMC9947100 DOI: 10.1038/s42004-023-00833-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Many essential building blocks of life, including amino acids, sugars, and nucleosides, require aldehydes for prebiotic synthesis. Pathways for their formation under early earth conditions are therefore of great importance. We investigated the formation of aldehydes by an experimental simulation of primordial early earth conditions, in line with the metal-sulfur world theory in an acetylene-containing atmosphere. We describe a pH-driven, intrinsically autoregulatory environment that concentrates acetaldehyde and other higher molecular weight aldehydes. We demonstrate that acetaldehyde is rapidly formed from acetylene over a nickel sulfide catalyst in an aqueous solution, followed by sequential reactions progressively increasing the molecular diversity and complexity of the reaction mixture. Interestingly, through inherent pH changes, the evolution of this complex matrix leads to auto-stabilization of de novo synthesized aldehydes and alters the subsequent synthesis of relevant biomolecules rather than yielding uncontrolled polymerization products. Our results emphasize the impact of progressively generated compounds on the overall reaction conditions and strengthen the role of acetylene in forming essential building blocks that are fundamental for the emergence of terrestrial life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philippe Diederich
- Helmholtz Munich, Research Unit Analytical BioGeoChemistry, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Thomas Geisberger
- grid.6936.a0000000123222966Technical University of Munich Structural Membrane Biochemistry, BNMRZ, Lichtenbergstr 4, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Yingfei Yan
- Helmholtz Munich, Research Unit Analytical BioGeoChemistry, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Christian Seitz
- grid.6936.a0000000123222966Technical University of Munich Structural Membrane Biochemistry, BNMRZ, Lichtenbergstr 4, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Alexander Ruf
- grid.510544.1Excellence Cluster ORIGINS, Boltzmannstraße 2, 85748 Garching, Germany ,grid.5252.00000 0004 1936 973XFaculty of Physics, LMU Munich, Schellingstraße 4, 80799 Munich, Germany
| | - Claudia Huber
- grid.6936.a0000000123222966Technical University of Munich Structural Membrane Biochemistry, BNMRZ, Lichtenbergstr 4, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Norbert Hertkorn
- Helmholtz Munich, Research Unit Analytical BioGeoChemistry, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Philippe Schmitt-Kopplin
- Helmholtz Munich, Research Unit Analytical BioGeoChemistry, Neuherberg, Germany. .,Technical University of Munich, Analytische Lebensmittel Chemie; Maximus-von-Forum 2, 85354, Freising, Germany. .,Center for Astrochemical Studies, Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Gießebachstraße 1, 85748, Garching bei München, Germany.
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7
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Bechtel M, Hümmer E, Trapp O. Selective Phosphorylation of RNA‐ and DNA‐Nucleosides under Prebiotically Plausible Conditions. CHEMSYSTEMSCHEM 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/syst.202200020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Maximilian Bechtel
- Department of Chemistry Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich Butenandtstr. 5–13 81377 Munich Germany
| | - Eva Hümmer
- Department of Chemistry Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich Butenandtstr. 5–13 81377 Munich Germany
| | - Oliver Trapp
- Department of Chemistry Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich Butenandtstr. 5–13 81377 Munich Germany
- Max-Planck-Institute for Astronomy Königstuhl 17 69117 Heidelberg Germany
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8
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Martínez RF, Cuccia LA, Viedma C, Cintas P. On the Origin of Sugar Handedness: Facts, Hypotheses and Missing Links-A Review. ORIGINS LIFE EVOL B 2022; 52:21-56. [PMID: 35796896 DOI: 10.1007/s11084-022-09624-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
By paraphrasing one of Kipling's most amazing short stories (How the Leopard Got His Spots), this article could be entitled "How Sugars Became Homochiral". Obviously, we have no answer to this still unsolved mystery, and this perspective simply brings recent models, experiments and hypotheses into the homochiral homogeneity of sugars on earth. We shall revisit the past and current understanding of sugar chirality in the context of prebiotic chemistry, with attention to recent developments and insights. Different scenarios and pathways will be discussed, from the widely known formose-type processes to less familiar ones, often viewed as unorthodox chemical routes. In particular, problems associated with the spontaneous generation of enantiomeric imbalances and the transfer of chirality will be tackled. As carbohydrates are essential components of all cellular systems, astrochemical and terrestrial observations suggest that saccharides originated from environmentally available feedstocks. Such substances would have been capable of sustaining autotrophic and heterotrophic mechanisms integrating nutrients, metabolism and the genome after compartmentalization. Recent findings likewise indicate that sugars' enantiomeric bias may have emerged by a transfer of chirality mechanisms, rather than by deracemization of sugar backbones, yet providing an evolutionary advantage that fueled the cellular machinery.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Fernando Martínez
- Departamento de Química Orgánica E Inorgánica, Facultad de Ciencias, and Instituto Universitario de Investigación del Agua, Cambio Climático Y Sostenibilidad, (IACYS), Universidad de Extremadura, Avenida de Elvas s/n, 06006, Badajoz, Spain.
| | - Louis A Cuccia
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Quebec Centre for Advanced Materials (QCAM/CQMF), FRQNT, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. West, Montreal, QC, H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Cristóbal Viedma
- Department of Crystallography and Mineralogy, University Complutense, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pedro Cintas
- Departamento de Química Orgánica E Inorgánica, Facultad de Ciencias, and Instituto Universitario de Investigación del Agua, Cambio Climático Y Sostenibilidad, (IACYS), Universidad de Extremadura, Avenida de Elvas s/n, 06006, Badajoz, Spain.
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9
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Aliphatic Aldehydes in the Earth's Crust-Remains of Prebiotic Chemistry? LIFE (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 12:life12070925. [PMID: 35888015 PMCID: PMC9319801 DOI: 10.3390/life12070925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Revised: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
The origin of life is a mystery that has not yet been solved in the natural sciences. Some promising interpretative approaches are related to hydrothermal activities. Hydrothermal environments contain all necessary elements for the development of precursor molecules. There are surfaces with possible catalytic activity, and wide ranges of pressure and temperature conditions. The chemical composition of hydrothermal fluids together with periodically fluctuating physical conditions should open up multiple pathways towards prebiotic molecules. In 2017, we detected potentially prebiotic organic substances, including a homologous series of aldehydes in Archean quartz crystals from Western Australia, more than 3 billion years old. In order to approach the question of whether the transformation of inorganic into organic substances is an ongoing process, we investigated a drill core from the geologically young Wehr caldera in Germany at a depth of 1000 m. Here, we show the existence of a similar homologous series of aldehydes (C8 to C16) in the fluid inclusions of the drill core calcites, a finding that supports the thesis that hydrothermal environments could possibly be the material source for the origin of life.
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10
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Meyer KS, Westerfield JH, Johansen SL, Keane J, Wannenmacher AC, Crabtree KN. Rotational and Vibrational Spectra of the Pyridyl Radicals: A Coupled-Cluster Study. J Phys Chem A 2022; 126:3185-3197. [PMID: 35549287 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.2c01761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Pyridyl is a prototypical nitrogen-containing aromatic radical that may be a key intermediate in the formation of nitrogen-containing aromatic molecules under astrophysical conditions. On meteorites, a variety of complex molecules with nitrogen-containing rings have been detected with nonterrestrial isotopic abundances, and larger nitrogen-containing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PANHs) have been proposed to be responsible for certain unidentified infrared emission bands in the interstellar medium. In this work, the three isomers of pyridyl (2-, 3-, and 4-pyridyl) have been investigated with coupled cluster methods. For each species, structures were optimized at the CCSD(T)/cc-pwCVTZ level of theory and force fields were calculated at the CCSD(T)/ANO0 level of theory. Second-order vibrational perturbation theory (VPT2) was used to derive anharmonic vibrational frequencies and vibrationally corrected rotational constants, and resonances among vibrational states below 3500 cm-1 were treated variationally with the VPT2+K method. The results yield a complete set of spectroscopic parameters needed to simulate the pure rotational spectrum of each isomer, including electron-spin, spin-spin, and nuclear hyperfine interactions, and the calculated hyperfine parameters agree well with the limited available data from electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. For the handful of experimentally measured vibrational frequencies determined from photoelectron spectroscopy and matrix isolation spectroscopy, the typical agreement is comparable to experimental uncertainty. The predicted parameters for rotational spectroscopy reported here can guide new experimental investigations into the yet-unobserved rotational spectra of these radicals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly S Meyer
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, California 95616, United States
| | - John H Westerfield
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, California 95616, United States
| | - Sommer L Johansen
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, California 95616, United States
| | - Jasmine Keane
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, California 95616, United States
| | - Anna C Wannenmacher
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, California 95616, United States
| | - Kyle N Crabtree
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, California 95616, United States
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11
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Spontaneous Formation of Functional Structures in Messy Environments. Life (Basel) 2022; 12:life12050720. [PMID: 35629387 PMCID: PMC9148140 DOI: 10.3390/life12050720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Revised: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Even though prebiotic chemistry initially deals with simple molecules, its composition rapidly gains complexity with oligomerization. Starting with, e.g., 20 monomers (such as the 20 proteinogenic amino acids), we expect 400 different dimers, 3,200,000 pentamers, or more than 1013 decamers. Hence, the starting conditions are very messy but also form a very powerful pool of potentially functional oligomers. A selecting structure (a “selector” such as membrane multilayers or vesicles) may pick and accumulate those molecules from the pool that fulfill a simple function (such as the suitability to integrate into a bilayer membrane). If this “selector” is, in turn, subject to a superimposed selection in a periodic process, the accumulated oligomers may be further trimmed to fulfill more complex functions, which improve the survival rate of the selectors. Successful oligomers will be passed from generation to generation and further improved in subsequent steps. After thousands of generations, the selector, together with its integrated oligomers, can form a functional unit of considerable order and complexity. The actual power of this process of random formation and selection has already been shown in laboratory experiments. In this concept paper, earlier results are summarized and brought into a new context.
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12
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de Prinse T, Klantsataya E, Tsiminis G, Payten T, Moffatt J, Kee TW, Spooner NA. Multiphoton Phosphorescence of Simple Ketones by Visible-light Excitation and Its Consideration for Active Sensing in Space. J Fluoresc 2022; 32:1051-1057. [PMID: 35298738 PMCID: PMC9095556 DOI: 10.1007/s10895-022-02912-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Acetone and butanone were seen to emit blue light around 450 nm when excited in the green by a high intensity pulsed laser. The pathway of this anti-Stokes emission is believed to be multiphoton absorption followed by phosphorescence, with emission being observed in the samples at cryogenic temperatures below their melting point and not seen from either ketone in their cold liquid state. Given the widespread nature of these simple ketones in off-world bodies and their potential importance as an organic resource for Space Resource Utilization, signals which enable the identification and tracing of these materials are of use in applications from remote sensing and mapping to monitoring during extraction processes. While the excitation process has a low efficiency, the ability to use visible light for sensing of these targets has advantages over UV sources, such as the wider availability of high-powered lasers which could be utilized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas de Prinse
- Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS), The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia.
| | - Elizaveta Klantsataya
- Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS), The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Georgios Tsiminis
- Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS), The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Thomas Payten
- Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS), The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Jillian Moffatt
- Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS), The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Tak W Kee
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Nigel A Spooner
- Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS), The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
- Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG), Edinburgh, Australia
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13
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Kaiser K, Schulz F, Maillard JF, Hermann F, Pozo I, Peña D, Cleaves HJ, Burton AS, Danger G, Afonso C, Sandford S, Gross L. Visualization and identification of single meteoritic organic molecules by atomic force microscopy. METEORITICS & PLANETARY SCIENCE 2022; 57:644-656. [PMID: 35912284 PMCID: PMC9305854 DOI: 10.1111/maps.13784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Using high-resolution atomic force microscopy (AFM) with CO-functionalized tips, we atomically resolved individual molecules from Murchison meteorite samples. We analyzed powdered Murchison meteorite material directly, as well as processed extracts that we prepared to facilitate characterization by AFM. From the untreated Murchison sample, we resolved very few molecules, as the sample contained mostly small molecules that could not be identified by AFM. By contrast, using a procedure based on several trituration and extraction steps with organic solvents, we isolated a fraction enriched in larger organic compounds. The treatment increased the fraction of molecules that could be resolved by AFM, allowing us to identify organic constituents and molecular moieties, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and aliphatic chains. The AFM measurements are complemented by high-resolution mass spectrometry analysis of Murchison fractions. We provide a proof of principle that AFM can be used to image and identify individual organic molecules from meteorites and propose a method for extracting and preparing meteorite samples for their investigation by AFM. We discuss the challenges and prospects of this approach to study extraterrestrial samples based on single-molecule identification.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Fabian Schulz
- IBM Research—ZurichRüschlikon8003Switzerland
- Present address:
Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck SocietyBerlin14195Germany
| | - Julien F. Maillard
- Normandie UnivCOBRAUMR 6014 et FR 3038 Univ RouenINSA RouenCNRS IRCOF1 Rue TesnièreMont‐Saint‐Aignan Cedex76821France
| | | | - Iago Pozo
- Departamento de Química OrgánicaCentro Singular de Investigación en Química Biolóxica e Materiais Moleculares (CiQUS)Universidade de Santiago de CompostelaSantiago de Compostela15782Spain
| | - Diego Peña
- Departamento de Química OrgánicaCentro Singular de Investigación en Química Biolóxica e Materiais Moleculares (CiQUS)Universidade de Santiago de CompostelaSantiago de Compostela15782Spain
| | - H. James Cleaves
- Earth‐Life Science InstituteTokyo Institute of Technology2‑12‑1‑IE‑1 Ookayama, Meguro‑kuTokyo152‑8550Japan
- Blue Marble Space Institute for Science1001 4th Ave, Suite 3201SeattleWashington98154USA
| | - Aaron S. Burton
- Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science DivisionNASA Johnson Space CenterMS XI‐3HoustonTexas77058USA
| | - Gregoire Danger
- Laboratoire de Physique des Interactions Ioniques et Moléculaires (PIIM)CNRSAix‐Marseille UniversitéMarseilleFrance
- CNRSCNESLAMAix‐Marseille UniversitéMarseilleFrance
- Institut Universitaire de FranceParisFrance
| | - Carlos Afonso
- Normandie UnivCOBRAUMR 6014 et FR 3038 Univ RouenINSA RouenCNRS IRCOF1 Rue TesnièreMont‐Saint‐Aignan Cedex76821France
| | - Scott Sandford
- Space Science DivisionNASA Ames Research CenterMS 245‐6Moffett FieldCalifornia94035USA
| | - Leo Gross
- IBM Research—ZurichRüschlikon8003Switzerland
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14
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Furukawa Y, Iwasa Y, Chikaraishi Y. Synthesis of 13C-enriched amino acids with 13C-depleted insoluble organic matter in a formose-type reaction in the early solar system. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:7/18/eabd3575. [PMID: 33910902 PMCID: PMC8081361 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abd3575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Solvent-soluble organic matter (SOM) in meteorites, which includes life's building molecules, is suspected to originate from the cold region of the early solar system, on the basis of 13C enrichment in the molecules. Here, we demonstrate that the isotopic characteristics are reproducible in amino acid synthesis associated with a formose-type reaction in a heated aqueous solution. Both thermochemically driven formose-type reaction and photochemically driven formose-type reaction likely occurred in asteroids and ice-dust grains in the early solar system. Thus, the present results suggest that the formation of 13C-enriched SOM was not specific to the cold outer protosolar disk or the molecular cloud but occurred more widely in the early solar system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshihiro Furukawa
- Department of Earth Science, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aza-aoba, Aramaki, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8578, Japan.
| | - Yoshinari Iwasa
- Department of Earth Science, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aza-aoba, Aramaki, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8578, Japan
| | - Yoshito Chikaraishi
- Institute of Low-temperature Science, Hokkaido University, Kita-19, Nishi-8, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0819, Japan
- Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, 2-15, Natsushimacho, Yokosuka, Kanagawa 237-0061, Japan
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15
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Masuda S, Furukawa Y, Kobayashi T, Sekine T, Kakegawa T. Experimental Investigation of the Formation of Formaldehyde by Hadean and Noachian Impacts. ASTROBIOLOGY 2021; 21:413-420. [PMID: 33784199 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2020.2320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Formaldehyde (FA) is an important precursor in the abiotic synthesis of major biomolecules including amino acids, sugars, and nucleobases. Thus, spontaneous formation of prebiotic FA must have been crucial for the chemical origin of life. The frequent impacts of meteorites and asteroids on Hadean Earth have been considered one of the abiotic synthetic processes of organic compounds. However, the impact-induced formation of FA from CO2 as the major atmospheric constituent has not been confirmed yet. This study investigated the formation of FA in impact-induced reactions among meteoritic minerals, bicarbonate, gaseous nitrogen, and water to simulate the abiotic process experimentally. Products were analyzed with ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry and powder X-ray diffraction techniques. The results show the formation of FA and oxidation of metallic iron to siderite in the impact shock experiments. This indicates that this important prebiotic molecule was also synthesized by impacts of iron-bearing meteorites/asteroids on the Hadean oceans. The impact events might have generated spatially and temporally FA-enriched localized environments. Moreover, the impact-induced synthesis of FA may have also occurred on Noachian Mars given the presence of liquid water and a CO2-N2-rich atmosphere on the planet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saeka Masuda
- Department of Earth Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | | | | | - Toshimori Sekine
- Center for High Pressure Science & Technology Advanced Research, Shanghai, China
- Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
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16
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Paul S, Guin J. A General Approach to Intermolecular Olefin Hydroacylation through Light-Induced HAT Initiation: An Efficient Synthesis of Long-Chain Aliphatic Ketones and Functionalized Fatty Acids. Chemistry 2021; 27:4412-4419. [PMID: 33350515 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202004946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Herein, an operationally simple, environmentally benign and effective method for intermolecular radical hydroacylation of unactivated substrates by employing photo-induced hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) initiation is described. The use of commercially available and inexpensive photoinitiators (Ph2 CO and NHPI) makes the process attractive. The olefin hydroacylation protocol applies to a wide array of substrates bearing numerous functional groups and many complex structural units. The reaction proves to be scalable (up to 5 g). Different functionalized fatty acids, petrochemicals and naturally occurring alkanes can be synthesized with this protocol. A radical chain mechanism is implicated in the process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subhasis Paul
- School of Chemical Sciences, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, 2A & 2B Raja S. C. Mullick Road, Jadavpur, Kolkata, 700032, India
| | - Joyram Guin
- School of Chemical Sciences, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, 2A & 2B Raja S. C. Mullick Road, Jadavpur, Kolkata, 700032, India
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17
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Aponte JC, Elsila JE, Hein JE, Dworkin JP, Glavin DP, McLain HL, Parker ET, Cao T, Berger EL, Burton AS. Analysis of amino acids, hydroxy acids, and amines in CR chondrites. METEORITICS & PLANETARY SCIENCE 2020; 55:2422-2439. [PMID: 33536738 PMCID: PMC7839561 DOI: 10.1111/maps.13586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
The abundances, relative distributions, and enantiomeric and isotopic compositions of amines, amino acids, and hydroxy acids in Miller Range (MIL) 090001 and MIL 090657 meteorites were determined. Chiral distributions and isotopic compositions confirmed that most of the compounds detected were indigenous to the meteorites and not the result of terrestrial contamination. Combined with data in the literature, suites of these compounds have now been analyzed in a set of six CR chondrites, spanning aqueous alteration types 2.0-2.8. Amino acid abundances ranged from 17 to 3300 nmol g-1 across the six CRs; hydroxy acid abundances ranged from 180 to 1800 nmol g-1; and amine abundances ranged from 40 to 2100 nmol g-1. For amino acids and amines, the weakly altered chondrites contained the highest abundances, whereas hydroxy acids were most abundant in the more altered CR2.0 chondrite. Because water contents in the meteorites are orders of magnitude greater than soluble organics, synthesis of hydroxy acids, which requires water, may be less affected by aqueous alteration than amines and amino acids that require nitrogen-bearing precursors. Two chiral amino acids that were plausibly extraterrestrial in origin were present with slight enantiomeric excesses: L-isovaline (~10% excess) and D-β-amino-n-butyric acid (~9% excess); further studies are needed to verify that the chiral excess in the latter compound is truly extraterrestrial in origin. The isotopic compositions of compounds reported here did not reveal definitive links between the different compound classes such as common synthetic precursors, but will provide a framework for further future in-depth analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- José C. Aponte
- Department of ChemistryCatholic University of AmericaWashingtonDistrict of Columbia20064USA
- Solar System Exploration DivisionNASA Goddard Space Flight CenterGreenbeltMaryland20771USA
| | - Jamie E. Elsila
- Solar System Exploration DivisionNASA Goddard Space Flight CenterGreenbeltMaryland20771USA
| | - Jason E. Hein
- University of British ColumbiaBritish ColumbiaV6T 1Z2Canada
| | - Jason P. Dworkin
- Solar System Exploration DivisionNASA Goddard Space Flight CenterGreenbeltMaryland20771USA
| | - Daniel P. Glavin
- Solar System Exploration DivisionNASA Goddard Space Flight CenterGreenbeltMaryland20771USA
| | - Hannah L. McLain
- Department of ChemistryCatholic University of AmericaWashingtonDistrict of Columbia20064USA
- Solar System Exploration DivisionNASA Goddard Space Flight CenterGreenbeltMaryland20771USA
| | - Eric T. Parker
- Solar System Exploration DivisionNASA Goddard Space Flight CenterGreenbeltMaryland20771USA
| | - Timothy Cao
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of CaliforniaMercedCalifornia95343USA
| | - Eve L. Berger
- Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science DivisionTexas State University / Jacobs JETS ContractNASA Johnson Space CenterHoustonTexas77058USA
| | - Aaron S. Burton
- Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science DivisionNASA Johnson Space CenterHoustonTexas77058USA
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18
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Closs AC, Fuks E, Bechtel M, Trapp O. Prebiotically Plausible Organocatalysts Enabling a Selective Photoredox α-Alkylation of Aldehydes on the Early Earth. Chemistry 2020; 26:10702-10706. [PMID: 32233051 PMCID: PMC7496864 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202001514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Organocatalysis is a powerful approach to extend and (enantio-) selectively modify molecular structures. Adapting this concept to the Early Earth scenario offers a promising solution to explain their evolution into a complex homochiral world. Herein, we present a class of imidazolidine-4-thione organocatalysts, easily accessible from simple molecules available on an Early Earth under highly plausible prebiotic reaction conditions. These imidazolidine-4-thiones are readily formed from mixtures of aldehydes or ketones in presence of ammonia, cyanides and hydrogen sulfide in high selectivity and distinct preference for individual compounds of the resulting catalyst library. These organocatalysts enable the enantioselective α-alkylation of aldehydes under prebiotic conditions and show activities that correlate with the selectivity of their formation. Furthermore, the crystallization of single catalysts as conglomerates opens the pathway for symmetry breaking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna C. Closs
- Department of ChemistryLudwig Maximilian University MunichButenandtstrasse 5–1381377MunichGermany
- Max-Planck-Institute for AstronomyKönigstuhl 1769117HeidelbergGermany
| | - Elina Fuks
- Department of ChemistryLudwig Maximilian University MunichButenandtstrasse 5–1381377MunichGermany
| | - Maximilian Bechtel
- Department of ChemistryLudwig Maximilian University MunichButenandtstrasse 5–1381377MunichGermany
| | - Oliver Trapp
- Department of ChemistryLudwig Maximilian University MunichButenandtstrasse 5–1381377MunichGermany
- Max-Planck-Institute for AstronomyKönigstuhl 1769117HeidelbergGermany
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19
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Stevenson CD, Davis JP. Magnetars and Magnetic Separation of Chiral Radicals in Interstellar Space: Homochirality. J Phys Chem A 2019; 123:9587-9593. [PMID: 31600079 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.9b07817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Pasteur was the first to realize Earth's homochirality. Consequently, he attempted to design experiments revealing a mechanism that would expose life's chiral preference. Some of these experiments involved the application of magnetic fields to chemical reactions. His experiments failed, in part, because B-fields are pseudo-vectors and cannot couple preferentially to one handedness. However, extremely large magnetic fields cause the Maxwell equations to break down. This allows the motions of spin and charge densities in paramagnetic anion radicals to produce polarized axial B-fields that can undergo preferential coupling to one handedness. Hence, when a racemic mixture of paramagnetic organic molecules passes by an extremely large external gradated magnetic field, the enantiomers experience different torque forces and acquire different translational directions. B-fields of the required magnitude are unknown on this planet. In fact, they would be lethal, thereby eliminating any chance of Pasteur's success. On the other hand, Duncan and co-workers have recently discovered and garnered physical understanding of magnetars in interstellar space. Some of these neutron star systems produce B-fields greater than the quantum electrodynamic field strength, which is more than enough to generate the required torque for the interstellar enantiomeric separation. In space, chiralitically enriched materials can be deposited on planetesimals and result in homochiral "islands" on the planets. The formation of magnetars is a consequence of weak force events. We assert that, in interstellar space, a plethora of enantiomerically enriched dust clouds resulted from inter-magnetar-paramagnetic molecule force fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheryl D Stevenson
- Department of Chemistry , Illinois State University , Normal , Illinois 61790-4160 , United States
| | - John P Davis
- PragmaChem LLC , 222 Prospect Pl , Danville , Illinois 61832 , United States
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20
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Abplanalp MJ, Kaiser RI. On the formation of complex organic molecules in the interstellar medium: untangling the chemical complexity of carbon monoxide-hydrocarbon containing ice analogues exposed to ionizing radiation via a combined infrared and reflectron time-of-flight analysis. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2019; 21:16949-16980. [PMID: 31339133 DOI: 10.1039/c9cp01793c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Recently, over 200 molecules have been detected in the interstellar medium (ISM), with about one third being complex organic molecules (COMs), molecules containing six or more atoms. Over the last few decades, astrophysical laboratory experiments have shown that several COMs are formed via interaction of ionizing radiation within ices deposited on interstellar dust particles at 10 K (H2O, CH3OH, CO, CO2, CH4, NH3). However, there is still a lack of understanding of the chemical complexity that is available through individual ice constituents. The present research investigates experimentally the synthesis of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen bearing COMs from interstellar ice analogues containing carbon monoxide (CO) and methane (CH4), ethane (C2H6), ethylene (C2H4), or acetylene (C2H2) exposed to ionizing radiation. Utilizing online and in situ techniques, such as infrared spectroscopy and tunable photoionization reflectron time-of-flight mass spectrometry (PI-ReTOF-MS), specific isomers produced could be characterized. A total of 12 chemically different groups were detected corresponding to C2HnO (n = 2, 4, 6), C3HnO (n = 2, 4, 6, 8), C4HnO (n = 4, 6, 8, 10), C5HnO (n = 4, 6, 8, 10), C6HnO (n = 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14), C2HnO2 (n = 2, 4), C3HnO2 (n = 4, 6, 8), C4HnO2 (n = 4, 6, 8, 10), C5HnO2 (n = 6, 8), C6HnO2 (n = 8, 10, 12), C4HnO3 (n = 4, 6, 8), and C5HnO3 (n = 6, 8). More than half of these isomer specifically identified molecules have been identified in the ISM, and the remaining COMs detected here can be utilized to guide future astronomical observations. Of these isomers, three groups - alcohols, aldehydes, and molecules containing two of these functional groups - displayed varying degrees of unsaturation. Also, the detection of 1-propanol, 2-propanol, 1-butanal, and 2-methyl-propanal has significant implications as the propyl and isopropyl moieties (C3H7), which have already been detected in the ISM via propyl cyanide and isopropyl cyanide, could be detected in our laboratory studies. General reaction mechanisms for their formation are also proposed, with distinct follow-up studies being imperative to elucidate the complexity of COMs synthesized in these ices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Abplanalp
- W. M. Keck Research Laboratory in Astrochemistry, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA. and Department of Chemistry, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
| | - Ralf I Kaiser
- W. M. Keck Research Laboratory in Astrochemistry, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA. and Department of Chemistry, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
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21
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Simkus DN, Aponte JC, Elsila JE, Parker ET, Glavin DP, Dworkin JP. Methodologies for Analyzing Soluble Organic Compounds in Extraterrestrial Samples: Amino Acids, Amines, Monocarboxylic Acids, Aldehydes, and Ketones. Life (Basel) 2019; 9:E47. [PMID: 31174308 PMCID: PMC6617175 DOI: 10.3390/life9020047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2019] [Revised: 05/18/2019] [Accepted: 05/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Soluble organic compositions of extraterrestrial samples offer valuable insights into the prebiotic organic chemistry of the solar system. This review provides a summary of the techniques commonly used for analyzing amino acids, amines, monocarboxylic acids, aldehydes, and ketones in extraterrestrial samples. Here, we discuss possible effects of various experimental factors (e.g., extraction protocols, derivatization methods, and chromatographic techniques) in order to highlight potential influences on the results obtained from different methodologies. This detailed summary and assessment of current techniques is intended to serve as a basic guide for selecting methodologies for soluble organic analyses and to emphasize some key considerations for future method development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle N Simkus
- NASA Postdoctoral Program at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA.
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA.
| | - José C Aponte
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA.
- Department of Chemistry, Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C. 20064, USA.
| | - Jamie E Elsila
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA.
| | - Eric T Parker
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA.
| | - Daniel P Glavin
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA.
| | - Jason P Dworkin
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA.
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22
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Garcia AD, Meinert C, Sugahara H, Jones NC, Hoffmann SV, Meierhenrich UJ. The Astrophysical Formation of Asymmetric Molecules and the Emergence of a Chiral Bias. Life (Basel) 2019; 9:E29. [PMID: 30884807 PMCID: PMC6463258 DOI: 10.3390/life9010029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2019] [Revised: 03/11/2019] [Accepted: 03/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The biomolecular homochirality in living organisms has been investigated for decades, but its origin remains poorly understood. It has been shown that circular polarized light (CPL) and other energy sources are capable of inducing small enantiomeric excesses (ees) in some primary biomolecules, such as amino acids or sugars. Since the first findings of amino acids in carbonaceous meteorites, a scenario in which essential chiral biomolecules originate in space and are delivered by celestial bodies has arisen. Numerous studies have thus focused on their detection, identification, and enantiomeric excess calculations in extraterrestrial matrices. In this review we summarize the discoveries in amino acids, sugars, and organophosphorus compounds in meteorites, comets, and laboratory-simulated interstellar ices. Based on available analytical data, we also discuss their interactions with CPL in the ultraviolet (UV) and vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) regions, their abiotic chiral or achiral synthesis, and their enantiomeric distribution. Without doubt, further laboratory investigations and upcoming space missions are required to shed more light on our potential extraterrestrial molecular origins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrien D Garcia
- Institut de Chimie de Nice, Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, UMR 7272, 06108 Nice, France.
| | - Cornelia Meinert
- Institut de Chimie de Nice, Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, UMR 7272, 06108 Nice, France.
| | - Haruna Sugahara
- Institut de Chimie de Nice, Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, UMR 7272, 06108 Nice, France.
- Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency⁻Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, 3-1-1 Yoshinodai, Chuo Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-5210, Japan.
| | - Nykola C Jones
- ISA, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
| | - Søren V Hoffmann
- ISA, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
| | - Uwe J Meierhenrich
- Institut de Chimie de Nice, Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, UMR 7272, 06108 Nice, France.
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