1
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Dai C, Huang C, Ye M, Liu J, Cheng H. Mild Catalyst- and Additive-Free Three-Component Synthesis of 3-Thioisoindolinones and Tricyclic γ-Lactams Accelerated by Microdroplet Chemistry. J Org Chem 2024. [PMID: 39361508 DOI: 10.1021/acs.joc.4c01568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/05/2024]
Abstract
Isoindolinones, bearing both γ-lactam and aromatic rings, draw extensive interest in organic, pharmaceutical, and medicinal communities as they are important structural motifs in many natural products, bioactive compounds, and pharmaceuticals. As the main contributor to isoindolinone synthesis, metal catalysis is associated with many drawbacks including essential use of toxic/precious metals and excessive additives, high reaction temperatures, specially predesigned starting materials, and long reaction times (typically 8-30 h). In this study, we developed a catalyst- and additive-free, minute-scale, and high-yield microdroplet method for tricomponent isoindolinone synthesis at mild temperatures. By taking advantage of the astonishing reaction acceleration (1.9 × 102-9.4 × 103 acceleration factor range with a typical rate acceleration factor of 1.51 × 103 for the prototype reaction as the ratio of rate constants by microdroplet and bulk phase), 12 3-thioisoindolinones and two tricyclic γ-lactams were synthesized using various 2-acylbenzaldehydes, amines, and thiols with satisfactory yields ranging from 85% to 97% as well as a scale-up rate of 3.49 g h-1. Because of the advantages (no use of any catalysts or additives, mild temperature, rapid and satisfactory conversion, broad substrate scope, and gram scalability), the microdroplet method represents an attractive alternative to metal catalysis for laboratory synthesis of isoindolinones and their derivatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengbiao Dai
- College of Material, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Key Laboratory of Organosilicon Chemistry and Material Technology, Ministry of Education, Hangzhou Normal University, 2318 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Chengkai Huang
- College of Material, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Key Laboratory of Organosilicon Chemistry and Material Technology, Ministry of Education, Hangzhou Normal University, 2318 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Meiying Ye
- College of Material, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Key Laboratory of Organosilicon Chemistry and Material Technology, Ministry of Education, Hangzhou Normal University, 2318 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Jinhua Liu
- College of Material, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Key Laboratory of Organosilicon Chemistry and Material Technology, Ministry of Education, Hangzhou Normal University, 2318 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Heyong Cheng
- College of Material, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Key Laboratory of Organosilicon Chemistry and Material Technology, Ministry of Education, Hangzhou Normal University, 2318 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou 311121, China
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2
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Bocková J, Jones NC, Hoffmann SV, Meinert C. The astrochemical evolutionary traits of phospholipid membrane homochirality. Nat Rev Chem 2024; 8:652-664. [PMID: 39025922 DOI: 10.1038/s41570-024-00627-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Compartmentalization is crucial for the evolution of life. Present-day phospholipid membranes exhibit a high level of complexity and species-dependent homochirality, the so-called lipid divide. It is possible that less stable, yet more dynamic systems, promoting out-of-equilibrium environments, facilitated the evolution of life at its early stages. The composition of the preceding primitive membranes and the evolutionary route towards complexity and homochirality remain unexplained. Organics-rich carbonaceous chondrites are evidence of the ample diversity of interstellar chemistry, which may have enriched the prebiotic milieu on early Earth. This Review evaluates the detections of simple amphiphiles - likely ancestors of membrane phospholipids - in extraterrestrial samples and analogues, along with potential pathways to form primitive compartments on primeval Earth. The chiroptical properties of the chiral backbones of phospholipids provide a guide for future investigations into the origins of phospholipid membrane homochirality. We highlight a plausible common pathway towards homochirality of lipids, amino acids, and sugars starting from enantioenriched monomers. Finally, given their high recalcitrance and resistance to degradation, lipids are among the best candidate biomarkers in exobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Bocková
- Institut de Chimie de Nice, CNRS UMR 7272, Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, France
| | - Nykola C Jones
- ISA, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Søren V Hoffmann
- ISA, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Cornelia Meinert
- Institut de Chimie de Nice, CNRS UMR 7272, Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, France.
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3
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Wei W, Chu F, Chen G, Zhou S, Sun C, Feng H, Pan Y. Prebiotic Formation of Peptides Through Bubbling and Arc Plasma. Chemistry 2024; 30:e202401809. [PMID: 38802327 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202401809] [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: 05/08/2024] [Revised: 05/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
The abiotic synthesis of peptides, widely regarded as one of the key chemical reactions on the prebiotic Earth, is thermodynamically constrained in solution. Herein, a simulation of the lightning phenomenon on the sea surface using bubble bursting and arc plasma under ambient conditions enables dipeptide formation of six amino acids with conversion ratios ranging from 2.6 % to 25.5 %. Additionally, we observed the formation of biologically active tripeptides and investigated the stereoselectivity of the dipeptide formation reaction. By utilizing a mixture of 20 amino acids in the reaction, 102 possible dipeptides were generated. These results establish experimental constructions to mimic achievable prebiotic conditions and provide a credible pathway for endogenous biopolymer synthesis on prebiotic Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Wei
- Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
| | - Fengjian Chu
- College of Information Science and Electronic Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
| | - Guanru Chen
- Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
| | - Shiwen Zhou
- Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
| | - Cuirong Sun
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Hongru Feng
- Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
| | - Yuanjiang Pan
- Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
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4
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Padhy P, Zaman MA, Jensen MA, Cheng YT, Huang Y, Wu M, Galambos L, Davis RW, Hesselink L. Dielectrophoretic bead-droplet reactor for solid-phase synthesis. Nat Commun 2024; 15:6159. [PMID: 39039069 PMCID: PMC11263596 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49284-z] [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: 05/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 07/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Solid-phase synthesis underpins many advances in synthetic and combinatorial chemistry, biology, and material science. The immobilization of a reacting species on the solid support makes interfacing of reagents an important challenge in this approach. In traditional synthesis columns, this leads to reaction errors that limit the product yield and necessitates excess consumption of the mobile reagent phase. Although droplet microfluidics can mitigate these problems, its adoption is fundamentally limited by the inability to controllably interface microbeads and reagent droplets. Here, we introduce Dielectrophoretic Bead-Droplet Reactor as a physical method to implement solid-phase synthesis on individual functionalized microbeads by encapsulating and ejecting them from microdroplets by tuning the supply voltage. Proof-of-concept demonstration of the enzymatic coupling of fluorescently labeled nucleotides onto the bead using this reactor yielded a 3.2-fold higher fidelity over columns through precise interfacing of individual microreactors and beads. Our work combines microparticle manipulation and droplet microfluidics to address a long-standing problem in solid-phase synthesis with potentially wide-ranging implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Punnag Padhy
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
| | - Mohammad Asif Zaman
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Michael Anthony Jensen
- Stanford Genome Technology Center, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, 94304, USA.
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
| | - Yao-Te Cheng
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Yogi Huang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Mo Wu
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Ludwig Galambos
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Ronald Wayne Davis
- Stanford Genome Technology Center, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, 94304, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Lambertus Hesselink
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
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5
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Smokers IB, Visser BS, Slootbeek AD, Huck WTS, Spruijt E. How Droplets Can Accelerate Reactions─Coacervate Protocells as Catalytic Microcompartments. Acc Chem Res 2024; 57:1885-1895. [PMID: 38968602 PMCID: PMC11256357 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.4c00114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2024] [Revised: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/07/2024]
Abstract
ConspectusCoacervates are droplets formed by liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) and are often used as model protocells-primitive cell-like compartments that could have aided the emergence of life. Their continued presence as membraneless organelles in modern cells gives further credit to their relevance. The local physicochemical environment inside coacervates is distinctly different from the surrounding dilute solution and offers an interesting microenvironment for prebiotic reactions. Coacervates can selectively take up reactants and enhance their effective concentration, stabilize products, destabilize reactants and lower transition states, and can therefore play a similar role as micellar catalysts in providing rate enhancement and selectivity in reaction outcome. Rate enhancement and selectivity must have been essential for the origins of life by enabling chemical reactions to occur at appreciable rates and overcoming competition from hydrolysis.In this Accounts, we dissect the mechanisms by which coacervate protocells can accelerate reactions and provide selectivity. These mechanisms can similarly be exploited by membraneless organelles to control cellular processes. First, coacervates can affect the local concentration of reactants and accelerate reactions by copartitioning of reactants or exclusion of a product or inhibitor. Second, the local environment inside the coacervate can change the energy landscape for reactions taking place inside the droplets. The coacervate is more apolar than the surrounding solution and often rich in charged moieties, which can affect the stability of reactants, transition states and products. The crowded nature of the droplets can favor complexation of large molecules such as ribozymes. Their locally different proton and water activity can facilitate reactions involving a (de)protonation step, condensation reactions and reactions that are sensitive to hydrolysis. Not only the coacervate core, but also the surface can accelerate reactions and provides an interesting site for chemical reactions with gradients in pH, water activity and charge. The coacervate is often rich in catalytic amino acids and can localize catalysts like divalent metal ions, leading to further rate enhancement inside the droplets. Lastly, these coacervate properties can favor certain reaction pathways, and thereby give selectivity over the reaction outcome.These mechanisms are further illustrated with a case study on ribozyme reactions inside coacervates, for which there is a fine balance between concentration and reactivity that can be tuned by the coacervate composition. Furthermore, coacervates can both catalyze ribozyme reactions and provide product selectivity, demonstrating that coacervates could have functioned as enzyme-like catalytic microcompartments at the origins of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris B.
A. Smokers
- Institute for Molecules and
Materials, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6523 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Brent S. Visser
- Institute for Molecules and
Materials, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6523 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Annemiek D. Slootbeek
- Institute for Molecules and
Materials, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6523 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Wilhelm T. S. Huck
- Institute for Molecules and
Materials, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6523 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Evan Spruijt
- Institute for Molecules and
Materials, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6523 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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6
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Zhang X, Huang K, Fu Y, Zhang N, Kong X, Cheng Y, Zheng M, Cheng Y, Zhu T, Fu B, Feng S, Chen H. Demethylation C-C coupling reaction facilitated by the repulsive Coulomb force between two cations. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5881. [PMID: 38997250 PMCID: PMC11245495 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49946-y] [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: 04/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Carbon chain elongation (CCE) is normally carried out using either chemical catalysts or bioenzymes. Herein we demonstrate a catalyst-free approach to promote demethylation C-C coupling reactions for advanced CCE constructed with functional groups under ambient conditions. Accelerated by the electric field, two organic cations containing a methyl group (e.g., ketones, acids, and aldehydes) approach each other with such proximity that the energy of the repulsive Coulomb interaction between these two cations exceeds the bond energy of the methyl group. This results in the elimination of a methyl cation and the coupling of the residual carbonyl carbon groups. As confirmed by high-resolution mass spectrometry and isotope-labeling experiments, the C-C coupling reactions (yields up to 76.5%) were commonly observed in the gas phase or liquid phase, for which the mechanism was further studied using molecular dynamics simulations and stationary-point calculations, revealing deep insights and perspectives of chemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoping Zhang
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory for Mass Spectrometry and Instrumentation, East China University of Technology, Nanchang, 330013, P. R. China
| | - Keke Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Inorganic Synthesis and Preparative Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, P. R. China
| | - Yanlin Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Reaction Dynamics, Center for Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, Dalian Institution of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, 116023, P. R. China
| | - Ni Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, 330004, P. R. China
| | - Xianglei Kong
- State Key Laboratory of Elemento-organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, P. R. China
| | - Yuanyuan Cheng
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory for Mass Spectrometry and Instrumentation, East China University of Technology, Nanchang, 330013, P. R. China
| | - Mingyu Zheng
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory for Mass Spectrometry and Instrumentation, East China University of Technology, Nanchang, 330013, P. R. China
| | - Yihao Cheng
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory for Mass Spectrometry and Instrumentation, East China University of Technology, Nanchang, 330013, P. R. China
| | - Tenggao Zhu
- School of Pharmacy, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, 330004, P. R. China
| | - Bina Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Reaction Dynamics, Center for Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, Dalian Institution of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, 116023, P. R. China.
- Hefei National Laboratory, Hefei, 230088, China.
| | - Shouhua Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Inorganic Synthesis and Preparative Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, P. R. China.
| | - Huanwen Chen
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory for Mass Spectrometry and Instrumentation, East China University of Technology, Nanchang, 330013, P. R. China.
- School of Pharmacy, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, 330004, P. R. China.
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7
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Basuri P, Mukhopadhyay S, Reddy KSSVP, Unni K, Spoorthi BK, Shantha Kumar J, Yamijala SSRKC, Pradeep T. Spontaneous α-C-H Carboxylation of Ketones by Gaseous CO 2 at the Air-water Interface of Aqueous Microdroplets. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202403229. [PMID: 38577991 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202403229] [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: 02/15/2024] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
We present a catalyst-free route for the reduction of carbon dioxide integrated with the formation of a carbon-carbon bond at the air/water interface of negatively charged aqueous microdroplets, at ambient temperature. The reactions proceed through carbanion generation at the α-carbon of a ketone followed by nucleophilic addition to CO2. Online mass spectrometry reveals that the product is an α-ketoacid. Several factors, such as the concentration of the reagents, pressure of CO2 gas, and distance traveled by the droplets, control the kinetics of the reaction. Theoretical calculations suggest that water in the microdroplets facilitates this unusual chemistry. Furthermore, such a microdroplet strategy has been extended to seven different ketones. This work demonstrates a green pathway for the reduction of CO2 to useful carboxylated organic products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pallab Basuri
- DST Unit of Nanoscience and Thematic Unit of Excellence, Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, 600036, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Sinchan Mukhopadhyay
- DST Unit of Nanoscience and Thematic Unit of Excellence, Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, 600036, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - K S S V Prasad Reddy
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, 600036, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Keerthana Unni
- DST Unit of Nanoscience and Thematic Unit of Excellence, Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, 600036, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - B K Spoorthi
- DST Unit of Nanoscience and Thematic Unit of Excellence, Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, 600036, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Jenifer Shantha Kumar
- DST Unit of Nanoscience and Thematic Unit of Excellence, Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, 600036, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Sharma S R K C Yamijala
- Centre for Atomistic Modelling and Materials Design, Centre for Molecular Materials and Functions, Centre for Quantum Information, Communication, and Computing, Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, 600036, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Thalappil Pradeep
- DST Unit of Nanoscience and Thematic Unit of Excellence, Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, 600036, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
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8
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Judd KD, Parsons SW, Eremin DB, Fokin VV, Dawlaty JM. Visualizing partial solvation at the air-water interface. Chem Sci 2024; 15:8346-8354. [PMID: 38846382 PMCID: PMC11151832 DOI: 10.1039/d4sc01311e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite significant research, the mechanistic nuances of unusual reactivity at the air-water interface, especially in microdroplets, remain elusive. The likely contributors include electric fields and partial solvation at the interface. To reveal these intricacies, we measure the frequency shift of a well-defined azide vibrational probe at the air-water interface, while independently controlling the surface charge density by introducing surfactants. First, we establish the response of the probe in the bulk and demonstrate that it is sensitive to both electrostatics and hydrogen bonding. From interfacial spectroscopy we infer that the azide is neither fully hydrated nor in a completely aprotic dielectric environment; instead, it experiences an intermediate environment. In the presence of hydrogen bond-accepting sulphate surfactants, competition arises for interfacial water with the azide. However, the dominant influence stems from the electrostatic effect of their negative heads, resulting in a significant blue-shift. Conversely, for the positive ammonium surfactants, our data indicate a balanced interplay between electrostatics and hydrogen bonding, leading to a minimal shift in the probe. Our results demonstrate partial solvation at the interface and highlights that both hydrogen bonding and electrostatics may assist or oppose each other in polarizing a reactant, intermediate, or product at the interface, which is important for understanding and tuning interfacial reactivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth D Judd
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Southern California Los Angeles CA 90089 USA
| | - Sean W Parsons
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Southern California Los Angeles CA 90089 USA
| | - Dmitry B Eremin
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Southern California Los Angeles CA 90089 USA
| | - Valery V Fokin
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Southern California Los Angeles CA 90089 USA
| | - Jahan M Dawlaty
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Southern California Los Angeles CA 90089 USA
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9
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Wilson KR, Prophet AM. Chemical Kinetics in Microdroplets. Annu Rev Phys Chem 2024; 75:185-208. [PMID: 38382571 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-physchem-052623-120718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
Micrometer-sized compartments play significant roles in driving heterogeneous transformations within atmospheric and biochemical systems as well as providing vehicles for drug delivery and novel reaction environments for the synthesis of industrial chemicals. Many reports now indicate that reaction kinetics are accelerated under microconfinement, for example, in sprays, thin films, droplets, aerosols, and emulsions. These observations are dramatic, posing a challenge to our understanding of chemical reaction mechanisms with potentially significant practical consequences for predicting the complex chemistry in natural systems. Here we introduce the idea of kinetic confinement, which is intended to provide a conceptual backdrop for understanding when and why microdroplet reaction kinetics differ from their macroscale analogs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin R Wilson
- Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA;
| | - Alexander M Prophet
- Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA;
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA;
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10
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Fan J, Liang L, Zhou X, Ouyang Z. Accelerating protein aggregation and amyloid fibrillation for rapid inhibitor screening. Chem Sci 2024; 15:6853-6859. [PMID: 38725489 PMCID: PMC11077537 DOI: 10.1039/d4sc00437j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The accumulation and deposition of amyloid fibrils, also known as amyloidosis, in tissues and organs of patients has been found to be linked to numerous devastating neurodegenerative diseases. The aggregation of proteins to form amyloid fibrils, however, is a slow pathogenic process, and is a major issue for the evaluation of the effectiveness of inhibitors in new drug discovery and screening. Here, we used microdroplet reaction technology to accelerate the amyloid fibrillation process, monitored the process to shed light on the fundamental mechanism of amyloid self-assembly, and demonstrated the value of the technology in the rapid screening of potential inhibitor drugs. Proteins in microdroplets accelerated to form fibrils in milliseconds, enabling an entire cycle of inhibitor screening for Aβ40 within 3 minutes. The technology would be of broad interest to drug discovery and therapeutic design to develop treatments for diseases associated with protein aggregation and fibrillation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjin Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Precision Measurement Technology and Instruments, Department of Precision Instrument, Tsinghua University Beijing 100084 China
| | - Liwen Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Precision Measurement Technology and Instruments, Department of Precision Instrument, Tsinghua University Beijing 100084 China
| | - Xiaoyu Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Precision Measurement Technology and Instruments, Department of Precision Instrument, Tsinghua University Beijing 100084 China
| | - Zheng Ouyang
- State Key Laboratory of Precision Measurement Technology and Instruments, Department of Precision Instrument, Tsinghua University Beijing 100084 China
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11
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Williamson MP. Autocatalytic Selection as a Driver for the Origin of Life. Life (Basel) 2024; 14:590. [PMID: 38792611 PMCID: PMC11122578 DOI: 10.3390/life14050590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2024] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection was revolutionary because it provided a mechanism by which variation could be selected. This mechanism can only operate on living systems and thus cannot be applied to the origin of life. Here, we propose a viable alternative mechanism for prebiotic systems: autocatalytic selection, in which molecules catalyze reactions and processes that lead to increases in their concentration. Crucially, this provides a driver for increases in concentrations of molecules to a level that permits prebiotic metabolism. We show how this can produce high levels of amino acids, sugar phosphates, nucleotides and lipids and then lead on to polymers. Our outline is supported by a set of guidelines to support the identification of the most likely prebiotic routes. Most of the steps in this pathway are already supported by experimental results. These proposals generate a coherent and viable set of pathways that run from established Hadean geochemistry to the beginning of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mike P Williamson
- School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
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12
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Lv G, Tu Y, Zhang JH, Chen G. Photomolecular effect: Visible light interaction with air-water interface. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2320844121. [PMID: 38652751 PMCID: PMC11067046 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2320844121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Although water is almost transparent to visible light, we demonstrate that the air-water interface interacts strongly with visible light via what we hypothesize as the photomolecular effect. In this effect, transverse-magnetic polarized photons cleave off water clusters from the air-water interface. We use 14 different experiments to demonstrate the existence of this effect and its dependence on the wavelength, incident angle, and polarization of visible light. We further demonstrate that visible light heats up thin fogs, suggesting that this process can impact weather, climate, and the earth's water cycle and that it provides a mechanism to resolve the long-standing puzzle of larger measured clouds absorption to solar radiation than theory could predict based on bulk water optical constants. Our study suggests that the photomolecular effect should happen widely in nature, from clouds to fogs, ocean to soil surfaces, and plant transpiration and can also lead to applications in energy and clean water.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangxin Lv
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA02139
| | - Yaodong Tu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA02139
| | - James H. Zhang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA02139
| | - Gang Chen
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA02139
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13
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Cifuente JO, Colleoni C, Kalscheuer R, Guerin ME. Architecture, Function, Regulation, and Evolution of α-Glucans Metabolic Enzymes in Prokaryotes. Chem Rev 2024; 124:4863-4934. [PMID: 38606812 PMCID: PMC11046441 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.3c00811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
Bacteria have acquired sophisticated mechanisms for assembling and disassembling polysaccharides of different chemistry. α-d-Glucose homopolysaccharides, so-called α-glucans, are the most widespread polymers in nature being key components of microorganisms. Glycogen functions as an intracellular energy storage while some bacteria also produce extracellular assorted α-glucans. The classical bacterial glycogen metabolic pathway comprises the action of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase and glycogen synthase, whereas extracellular α-glucans are mostly related to peripheral enzymes dependent on sucrose. An alternative pathway of glycogen biosynthesis, operating via a maltose 1-phosphate polymerizing enzyme, displays an essential wiring with the trehalose metabolism to interconvert disaccharides into polysaccharides. Furthermore, some bacteria show a connection of intracellular glycogen metabolism with the genesis of extracellular capsular α-glucans, revealing a relationship between the storage and structural function of these compounds. Altogether, the current picture shows that bacteria have evolved an intricate α-glucan metabolism that ultimately relies on the evolution of a specific enzymatic machinery. The structural landscape of these enzymes exposes a limited number of core catalytic folds handling many different chemical reactions. In this Review, we present a rationale to explain how the chemical diversity of α-glucans emerged from these systems, highlighting the underlying structural evolution of the enzymes driving α-glucan bacterial metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier O. Cifuente
- Instituto
Biofisika (UPV/EHU, CSIC), University of
the Basque Country, E-48940 Leioa, Spain
| | - Christophe Colleoni
- University
of Lille, CNRS, UMR8576-UGSF -Unité de Glycobiologie Structurale
et Fonctionnelle, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Rainer Kalscheuer
- Institute
of Pharmaceutical Biology and Biotechnology, Heinrich Heine University, 40225 Dusseldorf, Germany
| | - Marcelo E. Guerin
- Structural
Glycobiology Laboratory, Department of Structural and Molecular Biology, Molecular Biology Institute of Barcelona (IBMB), Spanish
National Research Council (CSIC), Barcelona Science Park, c/Baldiri Reixac 4-8, Tower R, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
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14
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Zhang R, Zhang Z, Chen X, Jiang J, Hua L, Jia X, Bao R, Wang F. Pyrogenic Carbon Degradation by Galvanic Coupling with Sprayed Seawater Microdroplets. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:8528-8535. [PMID: 38497738 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c00290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Surface waves are known for their mechanical role in coastal processes that influence the weather and climate. However, their chemical impact, particularly on the transformation of pyrogenic carbon, is poorly understood. Pyrogenic carbon is generally assumed to show negligible postformational alteration of its stable carbon isotope composition. Here we present an electrochemical interaction of pyrogenic carbon with the sprayed seawater microdroplets resulting from wave breaking, driven by the galvanic coupling between the microdroplet water-carbon interfaces and the microdroplet water-vapor interfaces. This enables refractory pyrogenic carbon to rapidly degrade via the oxygenation and mineralization reaction, which makes it ∼2.6‰ enriched in 13C, far exceeding the generally assumed postformation alteration values (<0.5‰) of pyrogenic carbon. The unique chemical dynamics of seawater microdroplets provide new insights into the discrepancy in carbon isotope signatures between riverine and marine black carbon, emphasizing the potential of coastal oceans for carbon sequestration in the global carbon cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruolan Zhang
- Henan Institute of Advanced Technology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450000, P. R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, P. R. China
| | - Zhenyuan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P. R. China
| | - Xuke Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P. R. China
| | - Jichun Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, P. R. China
| | - Lei Hua
- State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, P. R. China
| | - Xiuquan Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, P. R. China
| | - Rui Bao
- Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, Key Lab of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, P. R. China
| | - Feng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P. R. China
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15
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Wang W, Liu Y, Wang T, Ge Q, Li K, Liu J, You W, Wang L, Xie L, Fu H, Chen J, Zhang L. Significantly Accelerated Photosensitized Formation of Atmospheric Sulfate at the Air-Water Interface of Microdroplets. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:6580-6590. [PMID: 38427385 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c11892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
The multiphase oxidation of sulfur dioxide (SO2) to form sulfate is a complex and important process in the atmosphere. While the conventional photosensitized reaction mainly explored in the bulk medium is reported to be one of the drivers to trigger atmospheric sulfate production, how this scheme functionalizes at the air-water interface (AWI) of aerosol remains an open question. Herein, employing an advanced size-controllable microdroplet-printing device, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) analysis, nanosecond transient adsorption spectrometer, and molecular level theoretical calculations, we revealed the previously overlooked interfacial role in photosensitized oxidation of SO2 in humic-like substance (HULIS) aerosol, where a 3-4 orders of magnitude increase in sulfate formation rate was speculated in cloud and aerosol relevant-sized particles relative to the conventional bulk-phase medium. The rapid formation of a battery of reactive oxygen species (ROS) comes from the accelerated electron transfer process at the AWI, where the excited triplet state of HULIS (3HULIS*) of the incomplete solvent cage can readily capture electrons from HSO3- in a way that is more efficient than that in the bulk medium fully blocked by water molecules. This phenomenon could be explained by the significantly reduced desolvation energy barrier required for reagents residing in the AWI region with an open solvent shell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, IRDR International Center of Excellence on Risk Interconnectivity and Governance on Weather, Department of Environmental Science & Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, Peoples' Republic of China
| | - Yangyang Liu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, IRDR International Center of Excellence on Risk Interconnectivity and Governance on Weather, Department of Environmental Science & Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, Peoples' Republic of China
| | - Tao Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, IRDR International Center of Excellence on Risk Interconnectivity and Governance on Weather, Department of Environmental Science & Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, Peoples' Republic of China
| | - Qiuyue Ge
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, IRDR International Center of Excellence on Risk Interconnectivity and Governance on Weather, Department of Environmental Science & Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, Peoples' Republic of China
| | - Kejian Li
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, IRDR International Center of Excellence on Risk Interconnectivity and Governance on Weather, Department of Environmental Science & Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, Peoples' Republic of China
| | - Juan Liu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, IRDR International Center of Excellence on Risk Interconnectivity and Governance on Weather, Department of Environmental Science & Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, Peoples' Republic of China
| | - Wenbo You
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, IRDR International Center of Excellence on Risk Interconnectivity and Governance on Weather, Department of Environmental Science & Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, Peoples' Republic of China
| | - Longqian Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, IRDR International Center of Excellence on Risk Interconnectivity and Governance on Weather, Department of Environmental Science & Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, Peoples' Republic of China
| | - Lifang Xie
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, IRDR International Center of Excellence on Risk Interconnectivity and Governance on Weather, Department of Environmental Science & Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, Peoples' Republic of China
| | - Hongbo Fu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, IRDR International Center of Excellence on Risk Interconnectivity and Governance on Weather, Department of Environmental Science & Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, Peoples' Republic of China
| | - Jianmin Chen
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, IRDR International Center of Excellence on Risk Interconnectivity and Governance on Weather, Department of Environmental Science & Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, Peoples' Republic of China
| | - Liwu Zhang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, IRDR International Center of Excellence on Risk Interconnectivity and Governance on Weather, Department of Environmental Science & Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, Peoples' Republic of China
- Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, Peoples' Republic of China
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16
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Galembeck F, Santos LP, Burgo TAL, Galembeck A. The emerging chemistry of self-electrified water interfaces. Chem Soc Rev 2024; 53:2578-2602. [PMID: 38305696 DOI: 10.1039/d3cs00763d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
Water is known for dissipating electrostatic charges, but it is also a universal agent of matter electrification, creating charged domains in any material contacting or containing it. This new role of water was discovered during the current century. It is proven in a fast-growing number of publications reporting direct experimental measurements of excess charge and electric potential. It is indirectly verified by its success in explaining surprising phenomena in chemical synthesis, electric power generation, metastability, and phase transition kinetics. Additionally, electrification by water is opening the way for developing green technologies that are fully compatible with the environment and have great potential to contribute to sustainability. Electrification by water shows that polyphasic matter is a charge mosaic, converging with the Maxwell-Wagner-Sillars effect, which was discovered one century ago but is still often ignored. Electrified sites in a real system are niches showing various local electrochemical potentials for the charged species. Thus, the electrified mosaics display variable chemical reactivity and mass transfer patterns. Water contributes to interfacial electrification from its singular structural, electric, mixing, adsorption, and absorption properties. A long list of previously unexpected consequences of interfacial electrification includes: "on-water" reactions of chemicals dispersed in water that defy current chemical wisdom; reactions in electrified water microdroplets that do not occur in bulk water, transforming the droplets in microreactors; and lowered surface tension of water, modifying wetting, spreading, adhesion, cohesion, and other properties of matter. Asymmetric capacitors charged by moisture and water are now promising alternative equipment for simultaneously producing electric power and green hydrogen, requiring only ambient thermal energy. Changing surface tension by interfacial electrification also modifies phase-change kinetics, eliminating metastability that is the root of catastrophic electric discharges and destructive explosions. It also changes crystal habits, producing needles and dendrites that shorten battery life. These recent findings derive from a single factor, water's ability to electrify matter, touching on the most relevant aspects of chemistry. They create tremendous scientific opportunities to understand the matter better, and a new chemistry based on electrified interfaces is now emerging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Galembeck
- Department of Physical Chemistry, University of Campinas, Institute of Chemistry, 13083-872, Campinas, Brazil.
- Galembetech Consultores e Tecnologia, 13080-661, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Leandra P Santos
- Galembetech Consultores e Tecnologia, 13080-661, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Thiago A L Burgo
- Department of Chemistry and Environmental Sciences, São Paulo State University (Unesp), 15054-000, São José do Rio Preto, Brazil
| | - Andre Galembeck
- Department of Fundamental Chemistry, Federal University of Pernambuco, 50740-560, Recife, Brazil
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17
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Rodriguez LE, Altair T, Hermis NY, Jia TZ, Roche TP, Steller LH, Weber JM. Chapter 4: A Geological and Chemical Context for the Origins of Life on Early Earth. ASTROBIOLOGY 2024; 24:S76-S106. [PMID: 38498817 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2021.0139] [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: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
Within the first billion years of Earth's history, the planet transformed from a hot, barren, and inhospitable landscape to an environment conducive to the emergence and persistence of life. This chapter will review the state of knowledge concerning early Earth's (Hadean/Eoarchean) geochemical environment, including the origin and composition of the planet's moon, crust, oceans, atmosphere, and organic content. It will also discuss abiotic geochemical cycling of the CHONPS elements and how these species could have been converted to biologically relevant building blocks, polymers, and chemical networks. Proposed environments for abiogenesis events are also described and evaluated. An understanding of the geochemical processes under which life may have emerged can better inform our assessment of the habitability of other worlds, the potential complexity that abiotic chemistry can achieve (which has implications for putative biosignatures), and the possibility for biochemistries that are vastly different from those on Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura E Rodriguez
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
- Lunar and Planetary Institute, Universities Space Research Association, Houston, Texas, USA. (Current)
| | - Thiago Altair
- Institute of Chemistry of São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, São Carlos, Brazil
- Department of Chemistry, College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, Maine, USA. (Current)
| | - Ninos Y Hermis
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
- Department of Physics and Space Sciences, University of Granada, Granada Spain. (Current)
| | - Tony Z Jia
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Tyler P Roche
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Luke H Steller
- Australian Centre for Astrobiology, and School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Kensington, Australia
| | - Jessica M Weber
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
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18
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Devlin SW, Bernal F, Riffe EJ, Wilson KR, Saykally RJ. Spiers Memorial Lecture: Water at interfaces. Faraday Discuss 2024; 249:9-37. [PMID: 37795954 DOI: 10.1039/d3fd00147d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
In this article we discuss current issues in the context of the four chosen subtopics for the meeting: dynamics and nano-rheology of interfacial water, electrified/charged aqueous interfaces, ice interfaces, and soft matter/water interfaces. We emphasize current advances in both theory and experiment, as well as important practical manifestations and areas of unresolved controversy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shane W Devlin
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
- Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Franky Bernal
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
- Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Erika J Riffe
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
- Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Kevin R Wilson
- Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Richard J Saykally
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
- Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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19
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Qiu L, Cooks RG. Oxazolone mediated peptide chain extension and homochirality in aqueous microdroplets. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2309360120. [PMID: 38165938 PMCID: PMC10786291 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2309360120] [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: 06/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Peptide formation from amino acids is thermodynamically unfavorable but a recent study provided evidence that the reaction occurs at the air/solution interfaces of aqueous microdroplets. Here, we show that i) the suggested amino acid complex in microdroplets undergoes dehydration to form oxazolone; ii) addition of water to oxazolone forms the dipeptide; and iii) reaction of oxazolone with other amino acids forms tripeptides. Furthermore, the chirality of the reacting amino acids is preserved in the oxazolone product, and strong chiral selectivity is observed when converting the oxazolone to tripeptide. This last fact ensures that optically impure amino acids will undergo chain extension to generate pure homochiral peptides. Peptide formation in bulk by wet-dry cycling shares a common pathway with the microdroplet reaction, both involving the oxazolone intermediate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingqi Qiu
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN47907
| | - R. Graham Cooks
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN47907
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20
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Hirakawa Y, Kakegawa T, Furukawa Y. Hexose phosphorylation for a non-enzymatic glycolysis and pentose phosphate pathway on early Earth. Sci Rep 2024; 14:264. [PMID: 38168787 PMCID: PMC10762079 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-50743-8] [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: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Glycolysis and pentose phosphate pathways play essential roles in cellular processes and are assumed to be among the most ancient metabolic pathways. Non-enzymatic metabolism-like reactions might have occurred on the prebiotic Earth and been inherited by the biological reactions. Previous research has identified a part of the non-enzymatic glycolysis and the non-enzymatic pentose phosphate pathway from glucose 6-phosphate and 6-phosphogluconate, which are intermediates of these reactions. However, how these phosphorylated molecules were formed on the prebiotic Earth remains unclear. Herein, we demonstrate the synthesis of glucose and gluconate from simple aldehydes in alkaline solutions and the formation of glucose 6-phosphate and 6-phosphogluconate with borate using thermal evaporation. These results imply that the initial stages of glycolysis-like and pentose phosphate pathway-like reactions were achieved in borate-rich evaporative environments on prebiotic Earth, suggesting that non-enzymatic metabolism provided biomolecules and their precursors on prebiotic Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuta Hirakawa
- Department of Earth Science, Tohoku University, 6-3, Aza-Aoba, Aramaki, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan.
| | - Takeshi Kakegawa
- Department of Earth Science, Tohoku University, 6-3, Aza-Aoba, Aramaki, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Furukawa
- Department of Earth Science, Tohoku University, 6-3, Aza-Aoba, Aramaki, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan
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21
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Zheng B, Wu Y, Xue L, Sun J, Liu J, Cheng H. Is Reaction Acceleration of Microdroplet Chemistry Favorable to Controlling the Enantioselectivity? J Org Chem 2023; 88:16186-16195. [PMID: 37948325 DOI: 10.1021/acs.joc.3c01660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Microdroplet chemistry has been proven to amazingly accelerate many chemical and biological reactions in the past 2 decades. Current microdroplet accelerated reactions are predominantly symmetric synthetic but minorly asymmetric synthetic reactions, where stereoselectivity is scarcely concerned. This study selected unimolecular and bimolecular reactions, multicomponent Passerini reactions, and enzymatic ketone reduction as the model reactions to illustrate whether reaction acceleration of microdroplet chemistry is favorable to retaining a chiral center and controlling the enantioselectivity or not. The results illustrated that microdroplet chemistry did not disrupt pre-existing stereogenic centers in chiral starting materials during reactions but did harm to stereospecificity in asymmetric catalysis by chiral catalysts and chiral organic ligands with the exclusion of enzymatic reactions. Our preliminary study reminds us of more cautions to the product enantioselectivity when conducting asymmetric catalysis in microdroplets. We also hope this study may promote more valuable further research on the stereoselectivity of microdroplet chemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boyu Zheng
- College of Material, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Key Laboratory of Organosilicon Chemistry and Material Technology, Ministry of Education, Hangzhou Normal University, 2318 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Yikang Wu
- College of Material, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Key Laboratory of Organosilicon Chemistry and Material Technology, Ministry of Education, Hangzhou Normal University, 2318 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Luyun Xue
- College of Material, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Key Laboratory of Organosilicon Chemistry and Material Technology, Ministry of Education, Hangzhou Normal University, 2318 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Jiannan Sun
- College of Material, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Key Laboratory of Organosilicon Chemistry and Material Technology, Ministry of Education, Hangzhou Normal University, 2318 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Jinhua Liu
- College of Material, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Key Laboratory of Organosilicon Chemistry and Material Technology, Ministry of Education, Hangzhou Normal University, 2318 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Heyong Cheng
- College of Material, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Key Laboratory of Organosilicon Chemistry and Material Technology, Ministry of Education, Hangzhou Normal University, 2318 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou 311121, China
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22
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Ge Q, Liu Y, You W, Wang W, Li K, Ruan X, Xie L, Wang T, Zhang L. Prebiotic synthesis of mineral-bearing microdroplet from inorganic carbon photoreduction at air-water interface. PNAS NEXUS 2023; 2:pgad389. [PMID: 38034096 PMCID: PMC10682977 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgad389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
The origin of life on Earth is an enigmatic and intricate conundrum that has yet to be comprehensively resolved despite recent significant developments within the discipline of archaeology and geology. Chemically, metal-sulfide minerals are speculated to serve as an important medium for giving birth in early life, while yet so far direct evidence to support the hypothesis for the highly efficient conversion of inorganic carbon into praxiological biomolecules remains scarce. In this work, we provide an initial indication that sphalerite, employed as a typical mineral, shows its enormous capability for promoting the conversion of inorganic carbon into elementary biomolecule formic acid (HCOOH) in airborne mineral-bearing aerosol microdroplet, which is over two orders of magnitude higher than that of the corresponding conventional bulk-like aqueous phase medium in the environment (e.g. river, lake, sea, etc.). This significant enhancement was further validated by a wide range of minerals and clays, including CuS, NiS, CoS, CdS, MnS, elemental sulfur, Arizona Test Dust, loess, nontronite, and montmorillonite. We reveal that the abundant interface of unique physical-chemical features instinct for aerosol or cloud microdroplets reduces the reaction energy barrier for the reaction, thus leading to extremely high HCOOH production (2.52 × 1014 kg year-1). This study unfolds unrecognized remarkable contributions of the considered scheme in the accumulation of prebiotic biomolecules in the ancient period of the Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiuyue Ge
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, IRDR International Center of Excellence on Risk Interconnectivity and Governance on Weather, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, P. R. China
| | - Yangyang Liu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, IRDR International Center of Excellence on Risk Interconnectivity and Governance on Weather, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, P. R. China
| | - Wenbo You
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, IRDR International Center of Excellence on Risk Interconnectivity and Governance on Weather, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, P. R. China
| | - Wei Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, IRDR International Center of Excellence on Risk Interconnectivity and Governance on Weather, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, P. R. China
| | - Kejian Li
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, IRDR International Center of Excellence on Risk Interconnectivity and Governance on Weather, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, P. R. China
| | - Xuejun Ruan
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, IRDR International Center of Excellence on Risk Interconnectivity and Governance on Weather, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, P. R. China
| | - Lifang Xie
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, IRDR International Center of Excellence on Risk Interconnectivity and Governance on Weather, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, P. R. China
| | - Tao Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, IRDR International Center of Excellence on Risk Interconnectivity and Governance on Weather, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, P. R. China
| | - Liwu Zhang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, IRDR International Center of Excellence on Risk Interconnectivity and Governance on Weather, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, P. R. China
- Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, P. R. China
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23
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Ju Y, Zhang H, Jiang Y, Wang W, Kan G, Yu K, Wang X, Liu J, Jiang J. Aqueous microdroplets promote C-C bond formation and sequences in the reverse tricarboxylic acid cycle. Nat Ecol Evol 2023; 7:1892-1902. [PMID: 37679455 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02193-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
The reverse tricarboxylic acid cycle (rTCA) is a central anabolic network that uses carbon dioxide (CO2) and may have provided complex carbon substrates for life before the advent of RNA or enzymes. However, non-enzymatic promotion of the rTCA cycle, in particular carbon fixation, remains challenging, even with primordial metal catalysis. Here, we report that the fixation of CO2 by reductive carboxylation of succinate and α-ketoglutarate was achieved in aqueous microdroplets under ambient conditions without the use of catalysts. Under identical conditions, the aqueous microdroplets also facilitated the sequences in the rTCA cycle, including reduction, hydration, dehydration and retro-aldol cleavage and linked with the glyoxylate cycle. These reactions of the rTCA cycle were compatible with the aqueous microdroplets, as demonstrated with two-reaction and four-reaction sequences. A higher selectivity giving higher product yields was also observed. Our results suggest that the microdroplets provide an energetically favourable microenvironment and facilitate a non-enzymatic version of the rTCA cycle in prebiotic carbon anabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Ju
- School of Marine Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, Weihai, PR China
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, PR China
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, PR China
| | - Hong Zhang
- School of Marine Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, Weihai, PR China.
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, PR China.
| | - Yanxiao Jiang
- School of Marine Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, Weihai, PR China
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, PR China
| | - Wenxin Wang
- School of Marine Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, Weihai, PR China
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, PR China
| | - Guangfeng Kan
- School of Marine Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, Weihai, PR China
| | - Kai Yu
- School of Marine Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, Weihai, PR China
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, PR China
| | - Xiaofei Wang
- School of Marine Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, Weihai, PR China
| | - Jilin Liu
- School of Marine Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, Weihai, PR China
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, PR China
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, PR China
| | - Jie Jiang
- School of Marine Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, Weihai, PR China.
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, PR China.
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, PR China.
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24
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Wang T, Li Z, Gao H, Hu J, Chen HY, Xu JJ. Ultrafast C-C and C-N bond formation reactions in water microdroplets facilitated by the spontaneous generation of carbocations. Chem Sci 2023; 14:11515-11520. [PMID: 37886101 PMCID: PMC10599473 DOI: 10.1039/d3sc03870j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Carbocations are important electrophilic intermediates in organic chemistry, but their formation typically requires harsh conditions such as extremely low pH, elevated temperature, strong oxidants and/or expensive noble-metal catalysts. Herein, we report the spontaneous generation of highly reactive carbocations in water microdroplets by simply spraying a diarylmethanol aqueous solution. The formation of transient carbocations as well as their ultrafast in-droplet transformations through carbocation-involved C-C and C-N bond formation reactions are directly characterized by mass spectrometry. The intriguing formation and stabilization of carbocations are attributed to the super acidity of the positively charged water microdroplets as well as the high electric fields at the water-air interfaces. Without the utilization of external acids as catalysts, we believe that these microdroplet reactions would pose a new and sustainable way for the construction of aryl-substituted compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University Nanjing 210023 P. R. China
| | - Zheng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University Nanjing 210023 P. R. China
| | - Hang Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University Nanjing 210023 P. R. China
| | - Jun Hu
- School of Life Sciences and Health Engineering, Jiangnan University Wuxi 214122 China
| | - Hong-Yuan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University Nanjing 210023 P. R. China
| | - Jing-Juan Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University Nanjing 210023 P. R. China
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25
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Ju Y, He Y, Kan G, Yu K, Jiang J, Wang X, Zhang H. Reaction acceleration in microdroplet mass spectrometry: Inlet capillary and solvent composition effects. RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY : RCM 2023; 37 Suppl 1:e9498. [PMID: 36852554 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.9498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Microdroplet chemistry has attracted tremendous interest in recent years. We have previously reported that microdroplet mass spectrometry (MS) achieves reaction acceleration. Here we systematically investigated the effect of capillary heating of MS inlet and solvent polarity of microdroplets on the conversion ratios of dehydration and phosphorylation reactions. METHODS The micron-sized droplets generated by high-speed gas encapsulated the compounds. The conversion ratios of dehydration and phosphorylation reactions were investigated at different capillary temperatures of MS inlet between 30°C and 300°C. Subsequently, the effects of solvent polarity of different microdroplets (acetonitrile, acetonitrile/water [v/v: 9:1], and water) on microdroplet reactions were investigated. RESULTS The microdroplets could be used as reaction vessels for rapid dehydration and phosphorylation reactions. Microdroplet MS is characterized by the completion of the reaction in microseconds. The increase in capillary temperature increased the conversion ratio of dehydration reactions but had little effect on phosphorylation reactions. The stability of compounds supports this phenomenon. In addition, the increase in solvent polarity in microdroplets promoted the dehydration reaction but inhibited the nucleophilic substitution reaction (phosphorylation reaction). CONCLUSIONS Microdroplet MS achieved an acceleration of the reaction, which was attributed to capillary temperature, microdroplet solvents, and the stability of reaction products. This finding suggested that the inlet capillary and solvent system should be considered in the study and interpretation of microdroplet MS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Ju
- School of Marine Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, Weihai, Shandong, 264209, China
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China
| | - Yuwei He
- School of Marine Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, Weihai, Shandong, 264209, China
| | - Guangfeng Kan
- School of Marine Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, Weihai, Shandong, 264209, China
| | - Kai Yu
- School of Marine Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, Weihai, Shandong, 264209, China
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China
| | - Jie Jiang
- School of Marine Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, Weihai, Shandong, 264209, China
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China
| | - Xiaofei Wang
- School of Marine Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, Weihai, Shandong, 264209, China
| | - Hong Zhang
- School of Marine Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, Weihai, Shandong, 264209, China
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China
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26
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Ross D, Deamer D. Template-Directed Replication and Chiral Resolution during Wet-Dry Cycling in Hydrothermal Pools. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:1749. [PMID: 37629605 PMCID: PMC10456050 DOI: 10.3390/life13081749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The commonly supposed template-based format for RNA self-replication requires both duplex assembly and disassembly. This requisite binary provision presents a challenge to the development of a serviceable self-replication model since chemical reactions are thermochemically unidirectional. We submit that a solution to this problem lies in volcanic landmasses that engage in continuous cycles of wetting and drying and thus uniquely provide the twofold state required for self-replication. Moreover, they offer conditions that initiate chain branching, and thus furnish a path to autocatalytic self-replication. The foundations of this dual thermochemical landscape arise from the broad differences in the properties of the bulk water phase on the one hand, and the air/water interfacial regions that emerge in the evaporative stages on the other. With this reaction system as a basis and employing recognized thermochemical and kinetic parameters, we present simulations displaying the spontaneous and autocatalyzed conversion of racemic and unactivated RNA monomers to necessarily homochiral duplex structures over characteristic periods of years.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Ross
- SRI International, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA
| | - David Deamer
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
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27
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Gong K, Ao J, Li K, Liu L, Liu Y, Xu G, Wang T, Cheng H, Wang Z, Zhang X, Wei H, George C, Mellouki A, Herrmann H, Wang L, Chen J, Ji M, Zhang L, Francisco JS. Imaging of pH distribution inside individual microdroplet by stimulated Raman microscopy. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2219588120. [PMID: 37155894 PMCID: PMC10193990 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2219588120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Aerosol microdroplets as microreactors for many important atmospheric reactions are ubiquitous in the atmosphere. pH largely regulates the chemical processes within them; however, how pH and chemical species spatially distribute within an atmospheric microdroplet is still under intense debate. The challenge is to measure pH distribution within a tiny volume without affecting the chemical species distribution. We demonstrate a method based on stimulated Raman scattering microscopy to visualize the three-dimensional pH distribution inside single microdroplets of varying sizes. We find that the surface of all microdroplets is more acidic, and a monotonic trend of pH decreasing is observed in the 2.9-μm aerosol microdroplet from center to edge, which is well supported by molecular dynamics simulation. However, bigger cloud microdroplet differs from small aerosol for pH distribution. This size-dependent pH distribution in microdroplets can be related to the surface-to-volume ratio. This work presents noncontact measurement and chemical imaging of pH distribution in microdroplets, filling the gap in our understanding of spatial pH in atmospheric aerosol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kedong Gong
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention, Department of Environmental Science & Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai200433, Peoples’ Republic of China
- National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, Fudan University, Shanghai200433, People’s Republic of China
- Integrated Research on Disaster Risk, and RDR International Center of Excellence on Risk Interconnectivity and Governance on Weather, Fudan University, Shanghai200433, People’s Republic of China
- Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai200092, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jianpeng Ao
- State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics and Department of Physics, Fudan University, Shanghai200433, Peoples’ Republic of China
- Academy for Engineering and Technology, Fudan University, Shanghai200433, Peoples’ Republic of China
| | - Kejian Li
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention, Department of Environmental Science & Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai200433, Peoples’ Republic of China
- National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, Fudan University, Shanghai200433, People’s Republic of China
- Integrated Research on Disaster Risk, and RDR International Center of Excellence on Risk Interconnectivity and Governance on Weather, Fudan University, Shanghai200433, People’s Republic of China
- Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai200092, People’s Republic of China
| | - Le Liu
- Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai200433, Peoples’ Republic of China
| | - Yangyang Liu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention, Department of Environmental Science & Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai200433, Peoples’ Republic of China
- National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, Fudan University, Shanghai200433, People’s Republic of China
- Integrated Research on Disaster Risk, and RDR International Center of Excellence on Risk Interconnectivity and Governance on Weather, Fudan University, Shanghai200433, People’s Republic of China
- Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai200092, People’s Republic of China
| | - Guanjun Xu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention, Department of Environmental Science & Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai200433, Peoples’ Republic of China
- National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, Fudan University, Shanghai200433, People’s Republic of China
- Integrated Research on Disaster Risk, and RDR International Center of Excellence on Risk Interconnectivity and Governance on Weather, Fudan University, Shanghai200433, People’s Republic of China
- Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai200092, People’s Republic of China
| | - Tao Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention, Department of Environmental Science & Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai200433, Peoples’ Republic of China
- National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, Fudan University, Shanghai200433, People’s Republic of China
- Integrated Research on Disaster Risk, and RDR International Center of Excellence on Risk Interconnectivity and Governance on Weather, Fudan University, Shanghai200433, People’s Republic of China
- Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai200092, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hanyun Cheng
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention, Department of Environmental Science & Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai200433, Peoples’ Republic of China
- National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, Fudan University, Shanghai200433, People’s Republic of China
- Integrated Research on Disaster Risk, and RDR International Center of Excellence on Risk Interconnectivity and Governance on Weather, Fudan University, Shanghai200433, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zimeng Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention, Department of Environmental Science & Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai200433, Peoples’ Republic of China
- National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, Fudan University, Shanghai200433, People’s Republic of China
- Integrated Research on Disaster Risk, and RDR International Center of Excellence on Risk Interconnectivity and Governance on Weather, Fudan University, Shanghai200433, People’s Republic of China
- Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai200092, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiuhui Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Cluster Science, Ministry of Education of China, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing100081, Peoples’ Republic of China
| | - Haoran Wei
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI53706
| | - Christian George
- Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, IRCELYON, Villeurbanne69626, France
| | - Abdelwahid Mellouki
- Institut de Combustion, Réactivité et Environnement (ICARE), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique/The Observatory of Sciences of the Universe in the Center (CNRS/OSUC), Orléans Cedex 2, 45071, France
- Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, Lot 660, Hay Moulay Rachid, 43150Benguerir, Morocco
| | - Hartmut Herrmann
- Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research, Atmospheric Chemistry Department, Leipzig04318, Germany
| | - Lin Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention, Department of Environmental Science & Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai200433, Peoples’ Republic of China
- National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, Fudan University, Shanghai200433, People’s Republic of China
- Integrated Research on Disaster Risk, and RDR International Center of Excellence on Risk Interconnectivity and Governance on Weather, Fudan University, Shanghai200433, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jianmin Chen
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention, Department of Environmental Science & Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai200433, Peoples’ Republic of China
- National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, Fudan University, Shanghai200433, People’s Republic of China
- Integrated Research on Disaster Risk, and RDR International Center of Excellence on Risk Interconnectivity and Governance on Weather, Fudan University, Shanghai200433, People’s Republic of China
| | - Minbiao Ji
- State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics and Department of Physics, Fudan University, Shanghai200433, Peoples’ Republic of China
- Academy for Engineering and Technology, Fudan University, Shanghai200433, Peoples’ Republic of China
| | - Liwu Zhang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention, Department of Environmental Science & Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai200433, Peoples’ Republic of China
- National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, Fudan University, Shanghai200433, People’s Republic of China
- Integrated Research on Disaster Risk, and RDR International Center of Excellence on Risk Interconnectivity and Governance on Weather, Fudan University, Shanghai200433, People’s Republic of China
- Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai200092, People’s Republic of China
| | - Joseph S. Francisco
- Department of Earth and Environmental, Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA19104
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA19104
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28
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Deal A, Smith AE, Oyala KM, Campolo GH, Rugeley BE, Mose TA, Talley DL, Cooley CB, Rapf RJ. Infrared Reflection-Absorption Spectroscopy of α-Keto Acids at the Air-Water Interface: Effects of Chain Length and Headgroup on Environmentally Relevant Surfactant Films. J Phys Chem A 2023; 127:4137-4151. [PMID: 37103984 PMCID: PMC10184673 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.3c01266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2023]
Abstract
A variety of organic surfactants are found at air-water interfaces in natural environments, including on the surfaces of aqueous aerosols. The structure and morphology of these organic films can have profound impacts on material transfer between the gas and condensed phases, the optical properties of atmospheric aerosol, and chemical processing at air-water interfaces. Combined, these effects can have significant impacts on climate via radiative forcing, but our understanding of organic films at air-water interfaces is incomplete. Here, we examine the impact of the polar headgroup and alkyl tail length on the structure and morphology of organic monolayers at the air-water interfaces. First, we focus on the substituted carboxylic acids, α-keto acids, using Langmuir isotherms and infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (IR-RAS) to elucidate key structures and phase behaviors of α-keto acids with a range of surface activities. We show that the structure of α-keto acids, both soluble and insoluble, at water surfaces is a compromise between van der Waals interactions of the hydrocarbon tail and hydrogen bonding interactions involving the polar headgroup. Then, we use this new data set regarding α-keto acid films at water surfaces to examine the role of the polar headgroup on organic films using a similar substituted carboxylic acid (α-hydroxystearic acid), an unsubstituted carboxylic acid (stearic acid), and an alcohol (stearyl alcohol). We show that the polar headgroup and its hydrogen bonding interactions can significantly affect the orientation of amphiphiles at air-water interfaces. Here, we provide side-by-side comparisons of Langmuir isotherms and IR-RA spectra for a set of environmentally relevant organic amphiphiles with a range of alkyl tail lengths and polar headgroup structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra
M. Deal
- Department
of Chemistry and Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental
Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Abigail E. Smith
- Department
of Chemistry, Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas 78212, United States
| | - Krista M. Oyala
- Department
of Chemistry, Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas 78212, United States
| | - Giovanna H. Campolo
- Department
of Chemistry, Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas 78212, United States
| | - Burgess E. Rugeley
- Department
of Chemistry, Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas 78212, United States
| | - Tim A. Mose
- Department
of Chemistry, Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas 78212, United States
| | - Denver L. Talley
- Department
of Chemistry, Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas 78212, United States
| | - Christina B. Cooley
- Department
of Chemistry, Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas 78212, United States
| | - Rebecca J. Rapf
- Department
of Chemistry, Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas 78212, United States
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29
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Rao Z, Li X, Fang YG, Francisco JS, Zhu C, Chu C. Spontaneous Oxidation of Thiols and Thioether at the Air-Water Interface of a Sea Spray Microdroplet. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:10839-10846. [PMID: 37133970 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c02334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The transport of dissolved organic sulfur, including thiols and thioethers, from the ocean surface to the atmosphere through sea spray aerosol (SSA) is of great importance for the global sulfur cycle. Thiol/thioether in SSA undergoes rapid oxidation that is historically linked to photochemical processes. Here, we report the discovery of a non-photochemical, spontaneous path of thiol/thioether oxidation in SSA. Among 10 investigated naturally abundant thiol/thioether, seven species displayed rapid oxidation in SSA, with disulfide, sulfoxide, and sulfone comprising the major products. We suggest that such spontaneous oxidation of thiol/thioether was mainly fueled by thiol/thioether enrichment at the air-water interface and generation of highly reactive radicals by the loss of an electron from ions (e.g., glutathionyl radical produced from ionization of deprotonated glutathione) at or near the surface of the water microdroplet. Our work sheds light on a ubiquitous but previously overlooked pathway of thiol/thioether oxidation, which could contribute to an accelerated sulfur cycle as well as related metal transformation (e.g., mercury) at ocean-atmosphere interfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zepeng Rao
- Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Xiaojiao Li
- College of Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Theoretical & Computational Photochemistry of Ministry of Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Ye-Guang Fang
- Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Nanoscience, CAS Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Joseph S Francisco
- Department of Earth and Environmental Science and Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Chongqin Zhu
- College of Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Theoretical & Computational Photochemistry of Ministry of Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Chiheng Chu
- Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
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30
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Liang Q, Zhu C, Yang J. Water Charge Transfer Accelerates Criegee Intermediate Reaction with H 2O - Radical Anion at the Aqueous Interface. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:10159-10166. [PMID: 37011411 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c00734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/05/2023]
Abstract
Criegee intermediates (CIs) are important carbonyl oxides that may react with atmospheric trace chemicals and impact the global climate. The CI reaction with water has been widely studied and is a main channel for trapping CIs in the troposphere. Previous experimental and computational reports have largely focused on reaction kinetic processes in various CI-water reactions. The molecular-level origin of CI's interfacial reactivity at the water microdroplet surface (e.g., as found in aerosols and clouds) is unclear. In this study, by employing the quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical (QM/MM) Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics with the local second-order Møller-Plesset perturbation theory, our computational results reveal a substantial water charge transfer up to ∼20% per water, which creates the surface H2O+/H2O- radical pairs to enhance the CH2OO and anti-CH3CHOO reactivity with water: the resulting strong CI-H2O- electrostatic attraction at the microdroplet surface facilitates the nucleophilic attack to the CI carbonyl by water, which may counteract the apolar hindrance of the substituent to accelerate the CI-water reaction. Our statistical analysis of the molecular dynamics trajectories further resolves a relatively long-lived bound CI(H2O-) intermediate state at the air/water interface, which has not been observed in gaseous CI reactions. This work provides insights into what may alter the oxidizing power of the troposphere by the next larger CIs than simple CH2OO and implicates a new perspective on the role of interfacial water charge transfer in accelerating molecular reactions at aqueous interfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiujiang Liang
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, People's Republic of China
| | - Chongqin Zhu
- College of Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Theoretical & Computational Photochemistry of Ministry of Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100190, People's Republic of China
| | - Jun Yang
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, People's Republic of China
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31
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Ju Y, Zhang H, Wang X, Liu Y, Yang Y, Kan G, Yu K, Jiang J. Abiotic synthesis with plausible emergence for primitive phospholipid in aqueous microdroplets. J Colloid Interface Sci 2023; 634:535-542. [PMID: 36549202 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2022.12.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Revised: 10/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Phospholipids are the protective layer of modern cells, but it is challenging for the formation of phospholipids that require a simple abiotic synthesis before the advent of primitive cells. Here, we reported the abiotic synthesis for lysophosphatidic acids (LPAs) with prebiotically plausible reactants in aqueous microdroplets under ambient conditions. The LPAs formation is carried out by fusing two microdroplets streams: one contains glycerol and pyrophosphate in water and the other one contains fatty acids in acetonitrile. Compared with the bulk solution, LPAs were generated in microdroplets without the addition of catalyst and heating. Conditions of reactant concentrations and microdroplet size varied and suggested that LPAs formation occurred near or at the microdroplet surface. The LPAs formation also showed chemoselective toward on chain-length of fatty acids. Finally, the formation of LPAs underwent two-step reactions with glycerol phosphorylation eliminating one water molecule followed by esterification with fatty acids. These results also implicated that pyrophosphate functioned as both catalysts and precursors in prebiotic LPAs synthesis. The approach using fusion aqueous microdroplets has desirable features in studying the substance exchange and interaction in atmosphere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Ju
- School of Marine Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, Weihai, Shandong 264209, PR China; School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150090, PR China
| | - Hong Zhang
- School of Marine Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, Weihai, Shandong 264209, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150090, PR China.
| | - Xiaofei Wang
- School of Marine Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, Weihai, Shandong 264209, PR China
| | - Yaqi Liu
- School of Marine Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, Weihai, Shandong 264209, PR China
| | - Yali Yang
- School of Marine Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, Weihai, Shandong 264209, PR China; School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150090, PR China
| | - Guangfeng Kan
- School of Marine Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, Weihai, Shandong 264209, PR China
| | - Kai Yu
- School of Marine Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, Weihai, Shandong 264209, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150090, PR China
| | - Jie Jiang
- School of Marine Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, Weihai, Shandong 264209, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150090, PR China; School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150090, PR China.
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32
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Rafferty A, Vennes B, Bain A, Preston TC. Optical trapping and light scattering in atmospheric aerosol science. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2023; 25:7066-7089. [PMID: 36852581 DOI: 10.1039/d2cp05301b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/23/2023]
Abstract
Aerosol particles are ubiquitous in the atmosphere, and currently contribute a large uncertainty to climate models. Part of the endeavour to reduce this uncertainty takes the form of improving our understanding of aerosol at the microphysical level, thus enabling chemical and physical processes to be more accurately represented in larger scale models. In addition to modeling efforts, there is a need to develop new instruments and methodologies to interrogate the physicochemical properties of aerosol. This perspective presents the development, theory, and application of optical trapping, a powerful tool for single particle investigations of aerosol. After providing an overview of the role of aerosol in Earth's atmosphere and the microphysics of these particles, we present a brief history of optical trapping and a more detailed look at its application to aerosol particles. We also compare optical trapping to other single particle techniques. Understanding the interaction of light with single particles is essential for interpreting experimental measurements. In the final part of this perspective, we provide the relevant formalism for understanding both elastic and inelastic light scattering for single particles. The developments discussed here go beyond Mie theory and include both how particle and beam shape affect spectra. Throughout the entirety of this work, we highlight numerous references and examples, mostly from the last decade, of the application of optical trapping to systems that are relevant to the atmospheric aerosol.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Benjamin Vennes
- Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
| | - Alison Bain
- School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Thomas C Preston
- Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. .,Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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33
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Voci S, Clarke TB, Dick JE. Abiotic microcompartments form when neighbouring droplets fuse: an electrochemiluminescence investigation. Chem Sci 2023; 14:2336-2341. [PMID: 36873831 PMCID: PMC9977408 DOI: 10.1039/d2sc06553c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Many studies have shown chemistry proceeds differently in small volumes compared to bulk phases. However, few studies exist elucidating spontaneous means by which small volumes can form in Nature. Such studies are critical in understanding the formation of life in microcompartments. In this study, we track in real-time the coalescence of two or more water microdroplets adsorbed on an electrified surface in a 1,2-dichloroethane continuous phase by electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) imaging, uncovering the spontaneous generation of multiple emulsions inside the resulting water droplets. During the fusion of adsorbed water droplets with each other on the electrode surface, volumes of organic and water phases are entrapped in between and detected respectively as ECL not-emitting and emitting regions. The diameter of those confined environments inside the water droplets can be less than a micrometer, as described by scanning electron microscopy data. This study adds a new mechanism for the generation of micro- and nano-emulsions and provides insight into confinement techniques under abiotic conditions as well as new potential strategies in microfluidic devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Voci
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University West Lafayette IN 47907 USA
| | - Thomas B Clarke
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University West Lafayette IN 47907 USA
| | - Jeffrey E Dick
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University West Lafayette IN 47907 USA .,Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University West Lafayette IN 47907 USA
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34
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Namani T, Ruf RJ, Arsano I, Hu R, Wesdemiotis C, Sahai N. Novel Chimeric Amino Acid-Fatty Alcohol Ester Amphiphiles Self-Assemble into Stable Primitive Membranes in Diverse Geological Settings. ASTROBIOLOGY 2023; 23:327-343. [PMID: 36724479 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2022.0056] [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: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Primitive cells are believed to have been self-assembled vesicular structures with minimal metabolic components, that were capable of self-maintenance and self-propagation in early Earth geological settings. The coevolution and self-assembly of biomolecules, such as amphiphiles, peptides, and nucleic acids, or their precursors, were essential for protocell emergence. Here, we present a novel class of amphiphiles-amino acid-fatty alcohol esters-that self-assemble into stable primitive membrane compartments under a wide range of geochemical conditions. Glycine n-octyl ester (GOE) and isoleucine n-octyl ester (IOE), the condensation ester products of glycine or isoleucine with octanol (OcOH), are expected to form at a mild temperature by wet-dry cycles. The GOE forms micelles in acidic aqueous solutions (pH 2-7) and vesicles at intermediate pH (pH 7.3-8.2). When mixed with cosurfactants (octanoic acid [OcA]; OcOH, or decanol) in different mole fractions [XCosurfactant = 0.1-0.5], the vesicle stability range expands significantly to span the extremely acidic to mildly alkaline (pH 2-8) and extremely alkaline (pH 10-11) regions. Only a small mole fraction of cosurfactant [XCosurfactant = 0.1] is needed to make stable vesicular structures. Notably, these GOE-based vesicles are also stable in the presence of high concentrations of divalent cations, even at low pHs and in simulated Hadean seawater composition (without sulfate). To better understand the self-assembly behavior of GOE-based systems, we devised complementary molecular dynamics computer simulations for a series of mixed GOE/OcA systems under simulated acidic pHs. The resulting calculated critical packing parameter values and self-assembly behavior were consistent with our experimental findings. The IOE is expected to show similar self-assembly behavior. Thus, amino acid-fatty alcohol esters, a novel chimeric amphiphile class composed of an amino acid head group and a fatty alcohol tail, may have aided in building protocell membranes, which were stable in a wide variety of geochemical circumstances and were conducive to supporting replication and self-maintenance. The present work contributes to our body of work supporting our hypothesis for synergism and coevolution of (proto)biomolecules on early Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trishool Namani
- School of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio, USA
| | - Reghan J Ruf
- School of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio, USA
- Integrated Biosciences Program, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio, USA
| | - Iskinder Arsano
- School of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio, USA
| | - Ruibo Hu
- School of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio, USA
| | - Chrys Wesdemiotis
- School of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio, USA
| | - Nita Sahai
- School of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio, USA
- Integrated Biosciences Program, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio, USA
- Department of Geosciences, and University of Akron, Akron, Ohio, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio, USA
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35
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Jin X, Wu Y, Dai C, Sun J, Ye M, Liu J, Cheng H. Catalyst-Free Accelerated Three-Component Synthesis of Betti Bases in Microdroplets. Chempluschem 2023; 88:e202200206. [PMID: 36026555 DOI: 10.1002/cplu.202200206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Revised: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Due to their important roles in medicine and asymmetric metal catalysis, the formation of Betti bases has attracted wide interest in organic chemical community. Traditional multicomponent reaction methods for synthesizing Betti bases normally require long reaction times under harsh conditions (high temperature, microwave or ultrasonic irradiation, etc.) in the presence of various catalysts. In this study, we developed a mild, highly efficient and environmentally friendly method to synthesize Betti bases without the use of any catalysts in microdroplets. The Betti reaction was accelerated by 6.53×103 in microdroplets by comparing the measured rate constant in bulk. Fifteen Betti bases were synthesized by the microdroplet method using a variety of aldehydes, naphthols and amines with 68-98 % yields at a scaled-up amount of 1.9 g h-1 . Overall it is an attractive alternative to classic organic synthesis for the construction of Betti bases and derivatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxiao Jin
- College of Material, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Key Laboratory of Organosilicon Chemistry and Material Technology, Hangzhou Normal University, 2318 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 311121, P. R. China
| | - Yikang Wu
- College of Material, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Key Laboratory of Organosilicon Chemistry and Material Technology, Hangzhou Normal University, 2318 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 311121, P. R. China
| | - Chengbiao Dai
- College of Material, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Key Laboratory of Organosilicon Chemistry and Material Technology, Hangzhou Normal University, 2318 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 311121, P. R. China
| | - Jiannan Sun
- College of Material, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Key Laboratory of Organosilicon Chemistry and Material Technology, Hangzhou Normal University, 2318 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 311121, P. R. China
| | - Meiying Ye
- College of Material, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Key Laboratory of Organosilicon Chemistry and Material Technology, Hangzhou Normal University, 2318 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 311121, P. R. China
| | - Jinhua Liu
- College of Material, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Key Laboratory of Organosilicon Chemistry and Material Technology, Hangzhou Normal University, 2318 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 311121, P. R. China
| | - Heyong Cheng
- College of Material, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Key Laboratory of Organosilicon Chemistry and Material Technology, Hangzhou Normal University, 2318 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 311121, P. R. China
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36
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Masaya TW, Goulay F. A Molecular Dynamic Study of the Effects of Surface Partitioning on the OH Radical Interactions with Solutes in Multicomponent Aqueous Aerosols. J Phys Chem A 2023; 127:751-764. [PMID: 36639126 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.2c07419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
The surface-bulk partitioning of small saccharide and amide molecules in aqueous droplets was investigated using molecular dynamics. The air-particle interface was modeled using a 80 Å cubic water box containing a series of organic molecules and surrounded by gaseous OH radicals. The properties of the organic solutes within the interface and the water bulk were examined at a molecular level using density profiles and radial pair distribution functions. Molecules containing only polar functional groups such as urea and glucose are found predominantly in the water bulk, forming an exclusion layer near the water surface. Substitution of a single polar group by an alkyl group in sugars and amides leads to the migration of the molecule toward the interface. Within the first 2 nm from the water surface, surface-active solutes lose their rotational freedom and adopt a preferred orientation with the alkyl group pointing toward the surface. The different packing within the interface leads to different solvation shell structures and enhanced interaction between the organic molecules and absorbed OH radicals. The simulations provide quantitative information about the dimension, composition, and organization of the air-water interface as well as about the nonreactive interaction of the OH radicals with the organic solutes. It suggests that increased concentrations, preferred orientations, and decreased solvation near the air-water surface may lead to differences in reactivities between surface-active and surface-inactive molecules. The results are important to explain how heterogeneous oxidation mechanisms and kinetics within interfaces may differ from those of the bulk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tadini Wenyika Masaya
- C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia26506, United States
| | - Fabien Goulay
- C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia26506, United States
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37
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Nader S, Baccouche A, Connolly F, Abou-Ghanem M, Styler SA, Lewis JD, Pink D, Mansy SS. Model Atmospheric Aerosols Convert to Vesicles upon Entry into Aqueous Solution. ACS EARTH & SPACE CHEMISTRY 2023; 7:252-259. [PMID: 36704180 PMCID: PMC9869892 DOI: 10.1021/acsearthspacechem.2c00328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Aerosols are abundant on the Earth and likely played a role in prebiotic chemistry. Aerosol particles coagulate, divide, and sample a wide variety of conditions conducive to synthesis. While much work has centered on the generation of aerosols and their chemistry, little effort has been expended on their fate after settling. Here, using a laboratory model, we show that aqueous aerosols transform into cell-sized protocellular structures upon entry into aqueous solution containing lipid. Such processes provide for a heretofore unexplored pathway for the assembly of the building blocks of life from disparate geochemical regions within cell-like vesicles with a lipid bilayer in a manner that does not lead to dilution. The efficiency of aerosol to vesicle transformation is high with prebiotically plausible lipids, such as decanoic acid and decanol, that were previously shown to be capable of forming growing and dividing vesicles. The high transformation efficiency with 10-carbon lipids in landing solutions is consistent with the surface properties and dynamics of short-chain lipids. Similar processes may be operative today as fatty acids are common constituents of both contemporary aerosols and the sea. Our work highlights a new pathway that may have facilitated the emergence of the Earth's first cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serge Nader
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AlbertaT6G 2N4, Canada
| | - Alexandre Baccouche
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AlbertaT6G 2N4, Canada
| | - Fiona Connolly
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AlbertaT6G 2N4, Canada
| | - Maya Abou-Ghanem
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AlbertaT6G 2N4, Canada
| | - Sarah A. Styler
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AlbertaT6G 2N4, Canada
| | - John D. Lewis
- Department
of Oncology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AlbertaT6G 2E1, Canada
| | - Desmond Pink
- Nanostics
Inc., Edmonton, AlbertaT5J 4P6, Canada
| | - Sheref S. Mansy
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AlbertaT6G 2N4, Canada
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38
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Wang L, Li K, Liu Y, Gong K, Liu J, Ao J, Ge Q, Wang W, Ji M, Zhang L. Significantly Accelerated Hydroxyl Radical Generation by Fe(III)-Oxalate Photochemistry in Aerosol Droplets. J Phys Chem A 2023; 127:250-260. [PMID: 36595358 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.2c05919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Fe(III)-oxalate complexes are ubiquitous in atmospheric environments, which can release reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as H2O2, O•2-, and OH• under light irradiation. Although Fe(III)-oxalate photochemistry has been investigated extensively, the understanding of its involvement in authentic atmospheric environments such as aerosol droplets is far from enough, since the current available knowledge has mainly been obtained in bulk-phase studies. Here, we find that the production of OH• by Fe(III)-oxalate in aerosol microdroplets is about 10-fold greater than that of its bulk-phase counterpart. In addition, in the presence of Fe(III)-oxalate complexes, the rate of photo-oxidation from SO2 to sulfate in microdroplets was about 19-fold faster than that in the bulk phase. The availability of efficient reactants and mass transfer due to droplet effects made dominant contributions to the accelerated OH• and SO42- formation. This work highlights the necessary consideration of droplet effects in atmospheric laboratory studies and model simulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Longqian Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai200433, People's Republic of China.,Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai200092, People's Republic of China
| | - Kejian Li
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai200433, People's Republic of China.,Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai200092, People's Republic of China
| | - Yangyang Liu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai200433, People's Republic of China
| | - Kedong Gong
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai200433, People's Republic of China
| | - Juan Liu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai200433, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianpeng Ao
- State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics and Department of Physics, Fudan University, Shanghai200433, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiuyue Ge
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai200433, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai200433, People's Republic of China
| | - Minbiao Ji
- State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics and Department of Physics, Fudan University, Shanghai200433, People's Republic of China
| | - Liwu Zhang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai200433, People's Republic of China.,Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai200092, People's Republic of China
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39
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Guo X, Fu S, Ying J, Zhao Y. Prebiotic chemistry: a review of nucleoside phosphorylation and polymerization. Open Biol 2023; 13:220234. [PMID: 36629018 PMCID: PMC9832566 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.220234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The phosphorylation of nucleosides and their polymerization are crucial issues concerning the origin of life. The question of how these plausible chemical processes took place in the prebiotic Earth is still perplexing, despite several studies that have attempted to explain these prebiotic processes. The purpose of this article is to review these chemical reactions with respect to chemical evolution in the primeval Earth. Meanwhile, from our perspective, the chiral properties and selection of biomolecules should be considered in the prebiotic chemical origin of life, which may contribute to further research in this field to some extent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofan Guo
- Institute of Drug Discovery Technology, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Songsen Fu
- Institute of Drug Discovery Technology, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianxi Ying
- Institute of Drug Discovery Technology, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Yufen Zhao
- Institute of Drug Discovery Technology, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
- Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, Fujian, People's Republic of China
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40
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Basuri P, Chakraborty A, Ahuja T, Mondal B, Kumar JS, Pradeep T. Spatial reorganization of analytes in charged aqueous microdroplets. Chem Sci 2022; 13:13321-13329. [PMID: 36507174 PMCID: PMC9682915 DOI: 10.1039/d2sc04589c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Imprinted charged aqueous droplets of micrometer dimensions containing spherical gold and silver nanoparticles, gold nanorods, proteins and simple molecules were visualized using dark-field and transmission electron microscopies. With such studies, we hoped to understand the unusual chemistry exhibited by microdroplets. These droplets with sizes in the range of 1-100 μm were formed using a home-built electrospray source with nitrogen as the nebulization gas. Several remarkable features such as mass/size-selective segregation and spatial localization of solutes in nanometer-thin regions of microdroplets were visualized, along with the formation of micro-nano vacuoles. Electrospray parameters such as distance between the spray tip and surface, voltage and nebulization gas pressure influenced particle distribution within the droplets. We relate these features to unusual phenomena such as the enhancement of rates of chemical reactions in microdroplets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pallab Basuri
- DST Unit of Nanoscience, Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras Chennai 600036 India
| | - Amrita Chakraborty
- DST Unit of Nanoscience, Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras Chennai 600036 India
| | - Tripti Ahuja
- DST Unit of Nanoscience, Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras Chennai 600036 India
| | - Biswajit Mondal
- DST Unit of Nanoscience, Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras Chennai 600036 India
| | - Jenifer Shantha Kumar
- DST Unit of Nanoscience, Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras Chennai 600036 India
| | - Thalappil Pradeep
- DST Unit of Nanoscience, Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras Chennai 600036 India
- International Centre for Clean Water Chennai Tamil Nadu 600113 India
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41
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The Power of Biocatalysts for Highly Selective and Efficient Phosphorylation Reactions. Catalysts 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/catal12111436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Reactions involving the transfer of phosphorus-containing groups are of key importance for maintaining life, from biological cells, tissues and organs to plants, animals, humans, ecosystems and the whole planet earth. The sustainable utilization of the nonrenewable element phosphorus is of key importance for a balanced phosphorus cycle. Significant advances have been achieved in highly selective and efficient biocatalytic phosphorylation reactions, fundamental and applied aspects of phosphorylation biocatalysts, novel phosphorylation biocatalysts, discovery methodologies and tools, analytical and synthetic applications, useful phosphoryl donors and systems for their regeneration, reaction engineering, product recovery and purification. Biocatalytic phosphorylation reactions with complete conversion therefore provide an excellent reaction platform for valuable analytical and synthetic applications.
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42
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Vaida V, Deal AM. Peptide synthesis in aqueous microdroplets. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2216015119. [PMID: 36264818 PMCID: PMC9636960 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2216015119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Vaida
- Department of Chemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309
| | - Alexandra M. Deal
- Department of Chemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309
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43
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Deal AM, Vaida V. Infrared Reflection–Absorption Spectroscopy of α-Hydroxyacids at the Water–Air Interface. J Phys Chem A 2022; 126:8280-8294. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.2c04462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra M. Deal
- Department of Chemistry and Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Veronica Vaida
- Department of Chemistry and Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
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44
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Holden DT, Morato NM, Cooks RG. Aqueous microdroplets enable abiotic synthesis and chain extension of unique peptide isomers from free amino acids. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2212642119. [PMID: 36191178 PMCID: PMC9586328 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2212642119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Amide bond formation, the essential condensation reaction underlying peptide synthesis, is hindered in aqueous systems by the thermodynamic constraints associated with dehydration. This represents a key difficulty for the widely held view that prebiotic chemical evolution leading to the formation of the first biomolecules occurred in an oceanic environment. Recent evidence for the acceleration of chemical reactions at droplet interfaces led us to explore aqueous amino acid droplet chemistry. We report the formation of dipeptide isomer ions from free glycine or L-alanine at the air-water interface of aqueous microdroplets emanating from a single spray source (with or without applied potential) during their flight toward the inlet of a mass spectrometer. The proposed isomeric dipeptide ion is an oxazolidinone that takes fully covalent and ion-neutral complex forms. This structure is consistent with observed fragmentation patterns and its conversion to authentic dipeptide ions upon gentle collisions and for its formation from authentic dipeptides at ultra-low concentrations. It also rationalizes the results of droplet fusion experiments that show that the dipeptide isomer facilitates additional amide bond formation events, yielding authentic tri- through hexapeptides. We propose that the interface of aqueous microdroplets serves as a drying surface that shifts the equilibrium between free amino acids in favor of dehydration via stabilization of the dipeptide isomers. These findings offer a possible solution to the water paradox of biopolymer synthesis in prebiotic chemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dylan T. Holden
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907
| | - Nicolás M. Morato
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907
| | - R. Graham Cooks
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907
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He J, Zhang H, Wang W, Ma Y, Yang M, He Y, Liu Z, Yu K, Jiang J. Probing autoxidation of oleic acid at air-water interface: A neglected and significant pathway for secondary organic aerosols formation. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 212:113232. [PMID: 35398317 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 02/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Fatty acids have been proposed to be a potential source of precursors for SOAs, but the autoxidation process was neglected in the oxidation studies. Here, the autoxidation of oleic acid was explored using microdroplet mass spectrometry. Bulk solution, concentration and solvent composition experiments provided direct evidences for that the autoxidation occurred at or near the air-water interface. The kinetic data showed an acceleration at this interface and was comparable to ozonation, indicating that autoxidation is an important pathway for SOAs formation. In addition, intermediates/products were captured and identified using tandem mass spectrometry, spin-trapping and quenched agents. The autoxidation mechanism was divided into addition intermediates (AIs) and Criegee intermediates (CIs) pathways mediated by hydroxyl radicals (OH). The CI chemistry which is ubiquitous in gas phase was observed at the air-water interface, and this leaded to the mass/volume loss of aerosols. Inversely, the AI chemistry caused the increase of mass, density and hygroscopicity of aerosols. AI chemistry was dominated compared to CI chemistry, but varied by concerning aerosol sizes, ultraviolet light (UV) and charge. Moreover, the MS approach of selectively probing the interfacial substances at the scale of sub-seconds opens new opportunities to study heterogeneous chemistry in atmosphere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing He
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, Heilongjiang, 150090, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, Heilongjiang, 150090, PR China
| | - Hong Zhang
- School of Marine Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, Weihai, Shandong, 264209, PR China.
| | - Wenxin Wang
- School of Marine Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, Weihai, Shandong, 264209, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, Heilongjiang, 150090, PR China
| | - Yingxue Ma
- School of Marine Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, Weihai, Shandong, 264209, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, Heilongjiang, 150090, PR China
| | - Miao Yang
- School of Marine Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, Weihai, Shandong, 264209, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, Heilongjiang, 150090, PR China
| | - Yuwei He
- School of Marine Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, Weihai, Shandong, 264209, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, Heilongjiang, 150090, PR China
| | - Zhuo Liu
- School of Marine Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, Weihai, Shandong, 264209, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, Heilongjiang, 150090, PR China
| | - Kai Yu
- School of Marine Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, Weihai, Shandong, 264209, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, Heilongjiang, 150090, PR China
| | - Jie Jiang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, Heilongjiang, 150090, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, Heilongjiang, 150090, PR China.
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Gao XF, Cheng JC, Ye CL, Xiao S, Qiu ZM, Zhang X. Water promoted 9-fluorenylmethyloxycarbonyl detachment from amino acids in charged microdroplets. Org Biomol Chem 2022; 20:7001-7005. [PMID: 36000329 DOI: 10.1039/d2ob01438f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Aqueous microdroplets exhibit unique properties and can trigger reactions that do not occur in bulk solution. Herein, we have demonstrated that water, in microdroplets, can reduce the energy barrier for the lone H transfer of 9-fluorenylmethyloxycarbonyl and promote its detachment from the amino group. This strategy works on various amino acids and opens opportunities of aqueous microdroplets in triggering organic reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Fei Gao
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory for Mass Spectrometry and Instrumentation, East China University of Technology, Nanchang 330013, China.
| | - Jin-Cai Cheng
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory for Mass Spectrometry and Instrumentation, East China University of Technology, Nanchang 330013, China.
| | - Chun-Lian Ye
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory for Mass Spectrometry and Instrumentation, East China University of Technology, Nanchang 330013, China.
| | - Shan Xiao
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory for Mass Spectrometry and Instrumentation, East China University of Technology, Nanchang 330013, China.
| | - Zai-Ming Qiu
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory for Mass Spectrometry and Instrumentation, East China University of Technology, Nanchang 330013, China.
| | - Xinglei Zhang
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory for Mass Spectrometry and Instrumentation, East China University of Technology, Nanchang 330013, China.
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Abstract
In the present work, we have estimated the gas-phase acidity of different water clusters, i.e., (H2O)n, n = 1-20, 30, 35, 42, 54, 80, and 100. The present work indicates that the gas-phase acidity of the terminal hydrogen atom increases with the size of water clusters and starts converging at (H2O)30. Furthermore, the present work also indicates that the gas-phase acidity of a terminal hydrogen atom is higher than that of the corresponding bulk hydrogen atom for the same size of water cluster.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit Kumar
- Department of Chemistry, Malaviya National Institute of Technology Jaipur, Jaipur, 302017, India.
| | - Pradeep Kumar
- Department of Chemistry, Malaviya National Institute of Technology Jaipur, Jaipur, 302017, India.
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48
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Borate-guided ribose phosphorylation for prebiotic nucleotide synthesis. Sci Rep 2022; 12:11828. [PMID: 35853897 PMCID: PMC9296462 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-15753-y] [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: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Polymers of ribonucleotides (RNAs) are considered to store genetic information and promote biocatalytic reactions for the proto life on chemical evolution. Abiotic synthesis of ribonucleotide was successful in past experiments; nucleoside synthesis occurred first, followed by phosphorylation. These abiotic syntheses are far from biotic reactions and have difficulties as a prebiotic reaction in reacting chemicals in a specific order and purifying intermediates from other molecules in multi-steps of reactions. Another reaction, ribose phosphorylation followed by nucleobase synthesis or nucleobase addition, is close to the biotic reactions of nucleotide synthesis. However, the synthesis of ribose 5′-phosphate under prebiotically plausible conditions remains unclear. Here, we report a high-yield regioselective one-pot synthesis of ribose 5′-phosphate from an aqueous solution containing ribose, phosphate, urea, and borate by simple thermal evaporation. Of note, phosphorylation of ribose before the nucleoside formation differs from the traditional prebiotic nucleotide syntheses and is also consistent with biological nucleotide synthesis. Phosphorylation occurred to the greatest extent in ribose compared to other aldopentoses, only in the presence of borate. Borate is known to improve the stability of ribose preferentially. Geological evidence suggests the presence of borate-rich settings on the early Earth. Therefore, borate-rich evaporitic environments could have facilitated preferential synthesis of ribonucleotide coupled with enhanced stability of ribose on the early Earth.
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de la Puente M, David R, Gomez A, Laage D. Acids at the Edge: Why Nitric and Formic Acid Dissociations at Air-Water Interfaces Depend on Depth and on Interface Specific Area. J Am Chem Soc 2022; 144:10524-10529. [PMID: 35658415 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c03099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Whether the air-water interface decreases or increases the acidity of simple organic and inorganic acids compared to the bulk is critically important in a broad range of environmental and biochemical processes. However, a consensus has not yet been achieved on this key question. Here we use machine learning-based reactive molecular dynamics simulations to study the dissociation of paradigmatic nitric and formic acids at the air-water interface. We show that the local acidity profile across the interface is determined by changes in acid and conjugate base solvation and that the acidity decreases abruptly over a transition region of a few molecular layers. At the interface, both acids are weaker than in the bulk due to desolvation. In contrast, acidities below the interface reach a plateau and are all the stronger compared to those in the bulk as the surface to volume ratio of the aqueous phase is large, due to the growing impact of the stabilization of the released proton at the surface of the water. These results imply that the measured degree of dissociation sensitively depends on the experimental probing length and system size and suggest a molecular explanation for the contrasting experimental results. The aerosol size dependence of acidity has important consequences for atmospheric chemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel de la Puente
- PASTEUR, Department of Chemistry, École Normale Supérieure-PSL, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Paris 75005, France
| | - Rolf David
- PASTEUR, Department of Chemistry, École Normale Supérieure-PSL, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Paris 75005, France
| | - Axel Gomez
- PASTEUR, Department of Chemistry, École Normale Supérieure-PSL, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Paris 75005, France
| | - Damien Laage
- PASTEUR, Department of Chemistry, École Normale Supérieure-PSL, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Paris 75005, France
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Lee C, Pohl MN, Ramphal IA, Yang W, Winter B, Abel B, Neumark DM. Evaporation and Molecular Beam Scattering from a Flat Liquid Jet. J Phys Chem A 2022; 126:3373-3383. [PMID: 35579333 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.2c01174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
An experimental setup for molecular beam scattering from flat liquid sheets has been developed, with the goal of studying reactions at gas-liquid interfaces for volatile liquids. Specifically, a crossed molecular beam instrument that can measure angular and translational energy distributions of scattered products has been adapted for liquid jet scattering. A microfluidic chip is used to create a stable flat liquid sheet inside vacuum from which scattering occurs, and both evaporation and scattering from this sheet are characterized using a rotatable mass spectrometer that can measure product time-of-flight distributions. This article describes the instrument and reports on the first measurements of evaporation of dodecane and Ne from a Ne-doped dodecane flat jet, as well as scattering of Ne from a flat jet of pure dodecane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chin Lee
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States.,Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Marvin N Pohl
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States.,Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Isaac A Ramphal
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States.,Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Walt Yang
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States.,Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Bernd Winter
- Molecular Physics, Fritz-Haber-Institut der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Faradayweg 4-6, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Bernd Abel
- Department of Functional Surfaces, Leibniz Institute of Surface Engineering (IOM), Permoserstrasse 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany.,Wilhelm-Ostwald-Institute for Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Leipzig, Linnéstrasse 3, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Daniel M Neumark
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States.,Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
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