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Johansen S, Park H, Wang LP, Crabtree KN. Reactant Discovery with an Ab Initio Nanoreactor: Exploration of Astrophysical N-Heterocycle Precursors and Formation Pathways. ACS EARTH & SPACE CHEMISTRY 2024; 8:1771-1783. [PMID: 39318708 PMCID: PMC11418024 DOI: 10.1021/acsearthspacechem.4c00120] [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: 05/03/2024] [Revised: 07/09/2024] [Accepted: 07/30/2024] [Indexed: 09/26/2024]
Abstract
The incorporation of nitrogen atoms into cyclic compounds is essential for terrestrial life; nitrogen-containing (N-)heterocycles make up DNA and RNA nucleobases, several amino acids, B vitamins, porphyrins, and other components of biomolecules. The discovery of these molecules on meteorites with non-terrestrial isotopic abundances supports the hypothesis of exogenous delivery of prebiotic material to early Earth; however, there has been no detection of these species in interstellar environments, indicating that there is a need for greater knowledge of their astrochemical formation and destruction pathways. Here, we present results of simulations of gas-phase pyrrole and pyridine formation from an ab initio nanoreactor, a first-principles molecular dynamics simulation method that accelerates reaction discovery by applying non-equilibrium forces that are agnostic to individual reaction coordinates. Using the nanoreactor in a retrosynthetic mode, starting with the N-heterocycle of interest and a radical leaving group, then considering the discovered reaction pathways in reverse, a rich landscape of N-heterocycle-forming reactivity can be found. Several of these reaction pathways, when mapped to their corresponding minimum energy paths, correspond to novel barrierless formation pathways for pyridine and pyrrole, starting from both detected and hypothesized astrochemical precursors. This study demonstrates how first-principles reaction discovery can build mechanistic knowledge in astrochemical environments as well as in early Earth models such as Titan's atmosphere where N-heterocycles have been tentatively detected.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Lee-Ping Wang
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Davis, Davis, California 95616, United States
| | - Kyle N. Crabtree
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Davis, Davis, California 95616, United States
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2
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Nixon CA. The Composition and Chemistry of Titan's Atmosphere. ACS EARTH & SPACE CHEMISTRY 2024; 8:406-456. [PMID: 38533193 PMCID: PMC10961852 DOI: 10.1021/acsearthspacechem.2c00041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
In this review I summarize the current state of knowledge about the composition of Titan's atmosphere and our current understanding of the suggested chemistry that leads to that observed composition. I begin with our present knowledge of the atmospheric composition, garnered from a variety of measurements including Cassini-Huygens, the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, and other ground- and space-based telescopes. This review focuses on the typical vertical profiles of gases at low latitudes rather than global and temporal variations. The main body of the review presents a chemical description of how complex molecules are believed to arise from simpler species, considering all known "stable" molecules-those that have been uniquely identified in the neutral atmosphere. The last section of the review is devoted to the gaps in our present knowledge of Titan's chemical composition and how further work may fill those gaps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conor A. Nixon
- Planetary Systems Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, 8800 Greenbelt Road, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, United
States
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3
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Styczinski MJ, Cooper ZS, Glaser DM, Lehmer O, Mierzejewski V, Tarnas J. Chapter 7: Assessing Habitability Beyond Earth. ASTROBIOLOGY 2024; 24:S143-S163. [PMID: 38498826 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2021.0097] [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
All known life on Earth inhabits environments that maintain conditions between certain extremes of temperature, chemical composition, energy availability, and so on (Chapter 6). Life may have emerged in similar environments elsewhere in the Solar System and beyond. The ongoing search for life elsewhere mainly focuses on those environments most likely to support life, now or in the past-that is, potentially habitable environments. Discussion of habitability is necessarily based on what we know about life on Earth, as it is our only example. This chapter gives an overview of the known and presumed requirements for life on Earth and discusses how these requirements can be used to assess the potential habitability of planetary bodies across the Solar System and beyond. We first consider the chemical requirements of life and potential feedback effects that the presence of life can have on habitable conditions, and then the planetary, stellar, and temporal requirements for habitability. We then review the state of knowledge on the potential habitability of bodies across the Solar System and exoplanets, with a particular focus on Mars, Venus, Europa, and Enceladus. While reviewing the case for the potential habitability of each body, we summarize the most prominent and impactful studies that have informed the perspective on where habitable environments are likely to be found.
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Affiliation(s)
- M J Styczinski
- University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | - Z S Cooper
- University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - D M Glaser
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - O Lehmer
- NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, USA
| | - V Mierzejewski
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Arizona, USA
| | - J Tarnas
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
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4
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Schaible MJ, Szeinbaum N, Bozdag GO, Chou L, Grefenstette N, Colón-Santos S, Rodriguez LE, Styczinski MJ, Thweatt JL, Todd ZR, Vázquez-Salazar A, Adams A, Araújo MN, Altair T, Borges S, Burton D, Campillo-Balderas JA, Cangi EM, Caro T, Catalano E, Chen K, Conlin PL, Cooper ZS, Fisher TM, Fos SM, Garcia A, Glaser DM, Harman CE, Hermis NY, Hooks M, Johnson-Finn K, Lehmer O, Hernández-Morales R, Hughson KHG, Jácome R, Jia TZ, Marlow JJ, McKaig J, Mierzejewski V, Muñoz-Velasco I, Nural C, Oliver GC, Penev PI, Raj CG, Roche TP, Sabuda MC, Schaible GA, Sevgen S, Sinhadc P, Steller LH, Stelmach K, Tarnas J, Tavares F, Trubl G, Vidaurri M, Vincent L, Weber JM, Weng MM, Wilpiszeki RL, Young A. Chapter 1: The Astrobiology Primer 3.0. ASTROBIOLOGY 2024; 24:S4-S39. [PMID: 38498816 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2021.0129] [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
The Astrobiology Primer 3.0 (ABP3.0) is a concise introduction to the field of astrobiology for students and others who are new to the field of astrobiology. It provides an entry into the broader materials in this supplementary issue of Astrobiology and an overview of the investigations and driving hypotheses that make up this interdisciplinary field. The content of this chapter was adapted from the other 10 articles in this supplementary issue and thus represents the contribution of all the authors who worked on these introductory articles. The content of this chapter is not exhaustive and represents the topics that the authors found to be the most important and compelling in a dynamic and changing field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Micah J Schaible
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Nadia Szeinbaum
- School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - G Ozan Bozdag
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Luoth Chou
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA
- Center for Space Sciences and Technology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Georgetown University, Washington DC, USA
| | - Natalie Grefenstette
- Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Stephanie Colón-Santos
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Laura E Rodriguez
- Lunar and Planetary Institute, Universities Space Research Association, Houston, Texas, USA
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | - M J Styczinski
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
- University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Jennifer L Thweatt
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Penn State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Zoe R Todd
- Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Alberto Vázquez-Salazar
- Departamento de Biología Evolutiva, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Alyssa Adams
- Center for Space Sciences and Technology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - M N Araújo
- Biochemistry Department, University of São Paulo, São Carlos, Brazil
| | - 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
| | | | - Dana Burton
- Department of Anthropology, George Washington University, Washington DC, USA
| | | | - Eryn M Cangi
- Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Tristan Caro
- Department of Geological Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Enrico Catalano
- Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, The BioRobotics Institute, Pisa, Italy
| | - Kimberly Chen
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Peter L Conlin
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Z S Cooper
- Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Theresa M Fisher
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Santiago Mestre Fos
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Amanda Garcia
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - D M Glaser
- Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Chester E Harman
- Departamento de Biología Evolutiva, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - 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
| | - M Hooks
- NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - K Johnson-Finn
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, USA
| | - Owen Lehmer
- Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Ricardo Hernández-Morales
- Departamento de Biología Evolutiva, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Kynan H G Hughson
- School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Rodrigo Jácome
- Departamento de Biología Evolutiva, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Tony Z Jia
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Jeffrey J Marlow
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jordan McKaig
- School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Veronica Mierzejewski
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Israel Muñoz-Velasco
- Departamento de Biología Evolutiva, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
- Departamento de Biología Celular, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Ceren Nural
- Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Gina C Oliver
- Department of Geology, San Bernardino Valley College, San Bernardino, California, USA
| | - Petar I Penev
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Chinmayee Govinda Raj
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Tyler P Roche
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Mary C Sabuda
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
- Biotechnology Institute, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
| | - George A Schaible
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, USA
| | - Serhat Sevgen
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Institute of Marine Sciences, Middle East Technical University, Erdemli, Mersin, Turkey
| | - Pritvik Sinhadc
- BEYOND: Center For Fundamental Concepts in Science, Arizona State University, Arizona, USA
- Dubai College, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Luke H Steller
- Australian Centre for Astrobiology, and School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Kensington, Australia
| | - Kamil Stelmach
- Department of Chemistry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - J Tarnas
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | - Frank Tavares
- Space Enabled Research Group, MIT Media Lab, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Gareth Trubl
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California, USA
| | - Monica Vidaurri
- Center for Space Sciences and Technology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Howard University, Washington DC, USA
| | - Lena Vincent
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Jessica M Weber
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | | | | | - Amber Young
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA
- Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
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5
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Harold SE, Warf SL, Shields GC. Prebiotic dimer and trimer peptide formation in gas-phase atmospheric nanoclusters of water. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2023; 25:28517-28532. [PMID: 37847315 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp02915h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2023]
Abstract
Insight into the origin of prebiotic molecules is key to our understanding of how living systems evolved into the complex network of biological processes on Earth. By modelling diglycine and triglycine peptide formation in the prebiotic atmosphere, we provide a plausible pathway for peptide growth. By examining different transition states (TSs), we conclude that the formation of diglycine and triglycine in atmospheric nanoclusters of water in the prebiotic atmosphere kinetically favors peptide growth by an N-to-C synthesis of glycines through a trans conformation. Addition of water stabilizes the TS structures and lowers the Gibbs free activation energies. At temperatures that model the prebiotic atmosphere, the free energies of activation with a six water nanocluster as part of the TS are predicted to be 16 kcal mol-1 relative to the prereactive complex. Examination of the trans vs. cis six water transition states reveals that a homodromic water network that maximizes the acceptor/donor nature of the six waters is responsible for enhanced kinetic favorability of the trans N-to-C pathway. Compared to the non-hydrated trans TS, the trans six-water TS accelerates the reaction of diglycine and glycine to form triglycine by 13 orders of magnitude at 217 K. Nature uses the trans N-to-C pathway to synthesize proteins in the ribosome, and we note the similarities in hydrogen bond stabilization between the transition state for peptide synthesis in the ribosome and the transition states formed in nanoclusters of water in the same pathway. These results support the hypothesis that small oligomers formed in the prebiotic atmosphere and rained onto earth's surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon E Harold
- Department of Chemistry, Furman University, Greenville, South Carolina 29613, USA.
| | - Skyler L Warf
- Department of Chemistry, Furman University, Greenville, South Carolina 29613, USA.
| | - George C Shields
- Department of Chemistry, Furman University, Greenville, South Carolina 29613, USA.
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6
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Carr CE, Ramírez-Colón JL, Duzdevich D, Lee S, Taniguchi M, Ohshiro T, Komoto Y, Soderblom JM, Zuber MT. Solid-State Single-Molecule Sensing with the Electronic Life-Detection Instrument for Enceladus/Europa (ELIE). ASTROBIOLOGY 2023; 23:1056-1070. [PMID: 37782210 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2022.0119] [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: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Growing evidence of the potential habitability of Ocean Worlds across our solar system is motivating the advancement of technologies capable of detecting life as we know it-sharing a common ancestry or physicochemical origin with life on Earth-or don't know it, representing a distinct emergence of life different than our one known example. Here, we propose the Electronic Life-detection Instrument for Enceladus/Europa (ELIE), a solid-state single-molecule instrument payload that aims to search for life based on the detection of amino acids and informational polymers (IPs) at the parts per billion to trillion level. As a first proof-of-principle in a laboratory environment, we demonstrate the single-molecule detection of the amino acid L-proline at a 10 μM concentration in a compact system. Based on ELIE's solid-state quantum electronic tunneling sensing mechanism, we further propose the quantum property of the HOMO-LUMO gap (energy difference between a molecule's highest energy-occupied molecular orbital and lowest energy-unoccupied molecular orbital) as a novel metric to assess amino acid complexity. Finally, we assess the potential of ELIE to discriminate between abiotically and biotically derived α-amino acid abundance distributions to reduce the false positive risk for life detection. Nanogap technology can also be applied to the detection of nucleobases and short sequences of IPs such as, but not limited to, RNA and DNA. Future missions may utilize ELIE to target preserved biosignatures on the surface of Mars, extant life in its deep subsurface, or life or its biosignatures in a plume, surface, or subsurface of ice moons such as Enceladus or Europa. One-Sentence Summary: A solid-state nanogap can determine the abundance distribution of amino acids, detect nucleic acids, and shows potential for detecting life as we know it and life as we don't know it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher E Carr
- Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - José L Ramírez-Colón
- School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Daniel Duzdevich
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Molecular Biology, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Current address: Department of Chemistry, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Sam Lee
- MIT Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Masateru Taniguchi
- Osaka University, Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research, Osaka, Japan
| | - Takahito Ohshiro
- Osaka University, Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research, Osaka, Japan
| | - Yuki Komoto
- Osaka University, Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research, Osaka, Japan
| | - Jason M Soderblom
- MIT Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - M T Zuber
- MIT Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
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7
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Civiš S, Pastorek A, Ferus M, Yurchenko SN, Boudjema NI. Infrared Spectra of Small Radicals for Exoplanetary Spectroscopy: OH, NH, CN and CH: The State of Current Knowledge. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28083362. [PMID: 37110598 PMCID: PMC10143568 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28083362] [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: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
In this study, we present a current state-of-the-art review of middle-to-near IR emission spectra of four simple astrophysically relevant molecular radicals-OH, NH, CN and CH. The spectra of these radicals were measured by means of time-resolved Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy in the 700-7500 cm-1 spectral range and with 0.07-0.02 cm-1 spectral resolution. The radicals were generated in a glow discharge of gaseous mixtures in a specially designed discharge cell. The spectra of short-lived radicals published here are of great importance, especially for the detailed knowledge and study of the composition of exoplanetary atmospheres in selected new planets. Today, with the help of the James Webb telescope and upcoming studies with the help of Plato and Ariel satellites, when the investigated spectral area is extended into the infrared spectral range, it means that detailed knowledge of the infrared spectra of not only stable molecules but also the spectra of short-lived radicals or ions, is indispensable. This paper follows a simple structure. Each radical is described in a separate chapter, starting with historical and actual theoretical background, continued by our experimental results and concluded by spectral line lists with assigned notation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Svatopluk Civiš
- J. Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Dolejškova 2155/3, 18200 Prague 8, Czech Republic
| | - Adam Pastorek
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA 23529, USA
| | - Martin Ferus
- J. Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Dolejškova 2155/3, 18200 Prague 8, Czech Republic
| | - Sergei N Yurchenko
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Noor-Ines Boudjema
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
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8
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Moulay V, Freissinet C, Rizk-Bigourd M, Buch A, Ancelin M, Couturier E, Breton C, Trainer MG, Szopa C. Selection and Analytical Performances of the Dragonfly Mass Spectrometer Gas Chromatographic Columns to Support the Search for Organic Molecules of Astrobiological Interest on Titan. ASTROBIOLOGY 2023; 23:213-229. [PMID: 36577024 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2022.0038] [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: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Titan is a key planetary body for astrobiology, with the presence of a subsurface ocean and a dense atmosphere, in which complex chemistry is known to occur. Approximately 1-Titan-year after the Cassini-Huygens mission arrived in the saturnian system, Dragonfly rotorcraft will land on Titan's surface by 2034 for an exhaustive geophysical and chemical investigation of the Shangri-La organic sand sea region. Among the four instruments onboard Dragonfly, the Dragonfly Mass Spectrometer (DraMS) is dedicated to analyze the chemical composition of surface samples and noble gases in the atmosphere. One of the DraMS analysis modes, the Gas Chromatograph-Mass Spectrometer (GC-MS), is devoted to the detection and identification of organic molecules that could be involved in the development of a prebiotic chemistry or even representative of traces of past or present life. Therefore, DraMS-GC subsystem should be optimized to detect and identify relevant organic compounds to meet this objective. This work is focused on the experimental methods employed to select the chromatographic column to be integrated in DraMS-GC, to assess the analytical performances of the column selected, and also to assess the performances of the second DraMS-GC column, which is devoted to the separation of organic enantiomers. Four different stationary phases have been tested to select the most relevant one for the separation of the targeted chemical species. The results show that the stationary phase composed of polymethyl (95%) diphenyl (5%) siloxane is the best compromise in terms of efficiency, robustness, and retention times of the molecules. The combination of the general and the chiral columns in DraMS is perfectly suited to in situ chemical analysis on Titan and for the detection of expected diverse and complex organic compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentin Moulay
- LATMOS/IPSL, UVSQ Université Paris-Saclay, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Guyancourt, France
| | - Caroline Freissinet
- LATMOS/IPSL, UVSQ Université Paris-Saclay, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Guyancourt, France
| | - Malak Rizk-Bigourd
- LATMOS/IPSL, UVSQ Université Paris-Saclay, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Guyancourt, France
| | - Arnaud Buch
- Laboratoire Génie des Procédés et Matériaux, CentraleSupelec, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Mayline Ancelin
- LATMOS/IPSL, UVSQ Université Paris-Saclay, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Guyancourt, France
| | - Elise Couturier
- LATMOS/IPSL, UVSQ Université Paris-Saclay, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Guyancourt, France
| | - Caroline Breton
- LATMOS/IPSL, UVSQ Université Paris-Saclay, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Guyancourt, France
| | - Melissa G Trainer
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA
| | - Cyril Szopa
- LATMOS/IPSL, UVSQ Université Paris-Saclay, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Guyancourt, France
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9
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Schulz A, Surkau J. Main group cyanides: from hydrogen cyanide to cyanido-complexes. REV INORG CHEM 2022. [DOI: 10.1515/revic-2021-0044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Homoleptic cyanide compounds exist of almost all main group elements. While the alkali metals and alkaline earth metals form cyanide salts, the cyanides of the lighter main group elements occur mainly as covalent compounds. This review gives an overview of the status quo of main group element cyanides and cyanido complexes. Information about syntheses are included as well as applications, special substance properties, bond lengths, spectroscopic characteristics and computations. Cyanide chemistry is presented mainly from the field of inorganic chemistry, but aspects of chemical biology and astrophysics are also discussed in relation to cyano compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Axel Schulz
- Chemie , Universität Rostock , Albert-Einstein-Straße 3a, 18059 Rostock , Mecklenburg-Vorpommern , Germany
| | - Jonas Surkau
- Chemie , Universität Rostock , Albert-Einstein-Straße 3a, 18059 Rostock , Mecklenburg-Vorpommern , Germany
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10
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Meyer KS, Westerfield JH, Johansen SL, Keane J, Wannenmacher AC, Crabtree KN. Rotational and Vibrational Spectra of the Pyridyl Radicals: A Coupled-Cluster Study. J Phys Chem A 2022; 126:3185-3197. [PMID: 35549287 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.2c01761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Pyridyl is a prototypical nitrogen-containing aromatic radical that may be a key intermediate in the formation of nitrogen-containing aromatic molecules under astrophysical conditions. On meteorites, a variety of complex molecules with nitrogen-containing rings have been detected with nonterrestrial isotopic abundances, and larger nitrogen-containing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PANHs) have been proposed to be responsible for certain unidentified infrared emission bands in the interstellar medium. In this work, the three isomers of pyridyl (2-, 3-, and 4-pyridyl) have been investigated with coupled cluster methods. For each species, structures were optimized at the CCSD(T)/cc-pwCVTZ level of theory and force fields were calculated at the CCSD(T)/ANO0 level of theory. Second-order vibrational perturbation theory (VPT2) was used to derive anharmonic vibrational frequencies and vibrationally corrected rotational constants, and resonances among vibrational states below 3500 cm-1 were treated variationally with the VPT2+K method. The results yield a complete set of spectroscopic parameters needed to simulate the pure rotational spectrum of each isomer, including electron-spin, spin-spin, and nuclear hyperfine interactions, and the calculated hyperfine parameters agree well with the limited available data from electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. For the handful of experimentally measured vibrational frequencies determined from photoelectron spectroscopy and matrix isolation spectroscopy, the typical agreement is comparable to experimental uncertainty. The predicted parameters for rotational spectroscopy reported here can guide new experimental investigations into the yet-unobserved rotational spectra of these radicals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly S Meyer
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, California 95616, United States
| | - John H Westerfield
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, California 95616, United States
| | - Sommer L Johansen
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, California 95616, United States
| | - Jasmine Keane
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, California 95616, United States
| | - Anna C Wannenmacher
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, California 95616, United States
| | - Kyle N Crabtree
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, California 95616, United States
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11
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He G, Ma J, Chu B, Hu R, Li H, Gao M, Liu Y, Wang Y, Ma Q, Xie P, Zhang G, Zeng XC, Francisco JS, He H. Generation and Release of OH Radicals from the Reaction of H
2
O with O
2
over Soot. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022; 61:e202201638. [DOI: 10.1002/anie.202201638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Guangzhi He
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control Research Center for Eco-environmental Sciences Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100085 China
| | - Jinzhu Ma
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control Research Center for Eco-environmental Sciences Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100085 China
- Center for Excellence in Regional Atmospheric Environment Institute of Urban Environment Chinese Academy of Sciences Xiamen 361021 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100049 China
| | - Biwu Chu
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control Research Center for Eco-environmental Sciences Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100085 China
- Center for Excellence in Regional Atmospheric Environment Institute of Urban Environment Chinese Academy of Sciences Xiamen 361021 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100049 China
| | - Renzhi Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Optics and Technology Anhui Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics Chinese Academy of Sciences Hefei 230031 China
| | - Hao Li
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control Research Center for Eco-environmental Sciences Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100085 China
| | - Meng Gao
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control Research Center for Eco-environmental Sciences Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100085 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100049 China
| | - Yuan Liu
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control Research Center for Eco-environmental Sciences Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100085 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100049 China
| | - Yonghong Wang
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control Research Center for Eco-environmental Sciences Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100085 China
| | - Qingxin Ma
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control Research Center for Eco-environmental Sciences Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100085 China
- Center for Excellence in Regional Atmospheric Environment Institute of Urban Environment Chinese Academy of Sciences Xiamen 361021 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100049 China
| | - Pinhua Xie
- Center for Excellence in Regional Atmospheric Environment Institute of Urban Environment Chinese Academy of Sciences Xiamen 361021 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100049 China
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Optics and Technology Anhui Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics Chinese Academy of Sciences Hefei 230031 China
| | - Guoxian Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Optics and Technology Anhui Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics Chinese Academy of Sciences Hefei 230031 China
| | - Xiao Cheng Zeng
- Department of Chemistry University of Nebraska-Lincoln Lincoln NE 68588 USA
| | - Joseph S. Francisco
- Department of Earth and Environmental Science and Department of Chemistry University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia PA 19104 USA
| | - Hong He
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control Research Center for Eco-environmental Sciences Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100085 China
- Center for Excellence in Regional Atmospheric Environment Institute of Urban Environment Chinese Academy of Sciences Xiamen 361021 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100049 China
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12
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Nejdl L, Petera L, Šponer J, Zemánková K, Pavelicová K, Knížek A, Adam V, Vaculovičová M, Ivanek O, Ferus M. Quantum Dots in Peroxidase-like Chemistry and Formamide-Based Hot Spring Synthesis of Nucleobases. ASTROBIOLOGY 2022; 22:541-551. [PMID: 35333585 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2021.0099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Quantum dots (QDs) are usually seen as artificial semiconductor particles exhibiting optical and electronic properties interesting for nanotechnological applications. However, they may also play a role in prebiotic chemistry. Starting from zinc acetate, cadmium acetate, and mercaptosuccinic acid, we demonstrate the formation of ZnCd QDs upon UV irradiation in prebiotic liquid formamide. We show that ZnCd QDs are able to increase the yield of RNA nucleobase synthesis from formamide up to 300 times, suggesting they might have served as universal catalysts in a primordial milieu. Based on the experimentally observed peroxidase-like activity of ZnCd QDs upon irradiation with visible light, we propose that QDs could be relevant to a broad variety of processes relating to the emergence of terrestrial life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukáš Nejdl
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
- Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Lukáš Petera
- J. Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
- Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Science, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Judit Šponer
- Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Science, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Kristýna Zemánková
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
- Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Kristýna Pavelicová
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
- Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Antonín Knížek
- J. Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
- Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Science, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Vojtěch Adam
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
- Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Markéta Vaculovičová
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
- Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Ondřej Ivanek
- J. Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Ferus
- J. Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
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13
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He G, Ma J, Chu B, Hu R, Li H, Gao M, Liu Y, Wang Y, Ma Q, Xie P, Zhang G, Zeng XC, Francisco JS, He H. Generation and release of OH radicals from the reaction of H2O with O2 over soot. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202201638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Guangzhi He
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences CHINA
| | - Jinzhu Ma
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences CHINA
| | - Biwu Chu
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences CHINA
| | - Renzhi Hu
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Anhui Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics CHINA
| | - Hao Li
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences CHINA
| | - Meng Gao
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences CHINA
| | - Yuan Liu
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences CHINA
| | - Yonghong Wang
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences CHINA
| | - Qingxin Ma
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences CHINA
| | - Pinhua Xie
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Anhui Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics CHINA
| | - Guoxian Zhang
- Chinese Academy of Sciences State Key Laboratory of Environmental Optics and Technology CHINA
| | - Xiao Cheng Zeng
- UNL: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Department of Chemistry UNITED STATES
| | - Joseph S. Francisco
- University of Pennsylvania Department of Earth and Environmental Science and Department of Chemistry 251 Hayden Hall240 South 33rd Street 19104-6316 Philadelphia UNITED STATES
| | - Hong He
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences CHINA
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14
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Tang JWT, Henriques A, Loh TP. Microbes and space travel - hope and hazards. Future Microbiol 2021; 16:1023-1028. [PMID: 34488427 DOI: 10.2217/fmb-2021-0196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Julian Wei-Tze Tang
- C/O Clinical Microbiology, 5/F Sandringham Building, Leicester Royal Infirmary, Infirmary Square, Leicester, LE1 5WW, UK
| | - Andre Henriques
- CERN (European Organisation for Nuclear Research), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Tze Ping Loh
- Laboratory Medicine, National University Hospital, Singapore
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15
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Ferus M, Rimmer P, Cassone G, Knížek A, Civiš S, Šponer JE, Ivanek O, Šponer J, Saeidfirozeh H, Kubelík P, Dudžák R, Petera L, Juha L, Pastorek A, Křivková A, Krůs M. One-Pot Hydrogen Cyanide-Based Prebiotic Synthesis of Canonical Nucleobases and Glycine Initiated by High-Velocity Impacts on Early Earth. ASTROBIOLOGY 2020; 20:1476-1488. [PMID: 32955922 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2020.2231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Chemical environments of young planets are assumed to be significantly influenced by impacts of bodies lingering after the dissolution of the protoplanetary disk. We explore the chemical consequences of impacts of these bodies under reducing planetary atmospheres dominated by carbon monoxide, methane, and molecular nitrogen. Impacts were simulated by using a terawatt high-power laser system. Our experimental results show that one-pot impact-plasma-initiated synthesis of all the RNA canonical nucleobases and the simplest amino acid glycine is possible in this type of atmosphere in the presence of montmorillonite. This one-pot synthesis begins with de novo formation of hydrogen cyanide (HCN) and proceeds through intermediates such as cyanoacetylene and urea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Ferus
- J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Paul Rimmer
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Cavendish Astrophysics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Giuseppe Cassone
- Institute for Physical-Chemical Processes, National Research Council, Messina, Italy
| | - Antonín Knížek
- J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Svatopluk Civiš
- J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Judit E Šponer
- Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Ondřej Ivanek
- J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Šponer
- Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Homa Saeidfirozeh
- J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Kubelík
- J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
- Department of Radiation and Chemical Physics, Institute of Physics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Roman Dudžák
- Department of Radiation and Chemical Physics, Institute of Physics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
- Institute of Plasma Physics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Lukáš Petera
- J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Libor Juha
- Department of Radiation and Chemical Physics, Institute of Physics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
- Institute of Plasma Physics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Adam Pastorek
- J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Nuclear Sciences and Physical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Anna Křivková
- J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Nuclear Sciences and Physical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Miroslav Krůs
- Institute of Plasma Physics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
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16
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Pastorek A, Ferus M, Čuba V, Šrámek O, Ivanek O, Civiš S. Primordial Radioactivity and Prebiotic Chemical Evolution: Effect of γ Radiation on Formamide-Based Synthesis. J Phys Chem B 2020; 124:8951-8959. [PMID: 32970439 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.0c05233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Although the effect of ionizing radiation on prebiotic chemistry is often overlooked, primordial natural radioactivity might have been an important source of energy for various chemical transformations. Estimates of the abundances of short-lived radionuclides on early Earth suggest that the primordial intensity of endogenous terrestrial radioactivity was up to 4 × 103 times higher than it is today. Therefore, we assume that chemical substances in contact with radioactive rocks should therefore undergo radiolysis. The calculations are followed by research investigating the influence of ionizing γ radiation on basic prebiotic substances, including formamide mixed with various clays, which might have played the role of a catalyst and an agent that partially blocked radiation that was potentially destructive for the products. Our explorations of this effect have shown that the irradiation of formamide-clay mixtures at doses of ∼6 kGy produces significant amounts of urea (up to the maximal concentration of approximately 250 mg L-1), which plays a role in HCN-based prebiotic chemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Pastorek
- J. Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Dolejškova 2155/3, 18200 Prague, Prague 8, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Nuclear Sciences and Physical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Břehová 78/7, 11519 Prague, Prague 1, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Ferus
- J. Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Dolejškova 2155/3, 18200 Prague, Prague 8, Czech Republic
| | - Václav Čuba
- Faculty of Nuclear Sciences and Physical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Břehová 78/7, 11519 Prague, Prague 1, Czech Republic
| | - Ondřej Šrámek
- Department of Geophysics, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University, V Holešovičkách 2, 18000 Prague, Prague 8, Czech Republic
| | - Ondřej Ivanek
- J. Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Dolejškova 2155/3, 18200 Prague, Prague 8, Czech Republic
| | - Svatopluk Civiš
- J. Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Dolejškova 2155/3, 18200 Prague, Prague 8, Czech Republic
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17
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Abstract
Most definitions of life assume that, at a minimum, life is a physical form of matter distinct from its environment at a lower state of entropy than its surroundings, using energy from the environment for internal maintenance and activity, and capable of autonomous reproduction. These assumptions cover all of life as we know it, though more exotic entities can be envisioned, including organic forms with novel biochemistries, dynamic inorganic matter, and self-replicating machines. The probability that any particular form of life will be found on another planetary body depends on the nature and history of that alien world. So the biospheres would likely be very different on a rocky planet with an ice-covered global ocean, a barren planet devoid of surface liquid, a frigid world with abundant liquid hydrocarbons, on a rogue planet independent of a host star, on a tidally locked planet, on super-Earths, or in long-lived clouds in dense atmospheres. While life at least in microbial form is probably pervasive if rare throughout the Universe, and technologically advanced life is likely much rarer, the chance that an alternative form of life, though not intelligent life, could exist and be detected within our Solar System is a distinct possibility.
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18
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Wolters C, Flandinet L, He C, Isa J, Orthous-Daunay FR, Thissen R, Hörst S, Vuitton V. Enhancing data acquisition for the analysis of complex organic matter in direct-infusion Orbitrap mass spectrometry using micro-scans. RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY : RCM 2020; 34:e8818. [PMID: 32342561 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.8818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Revised: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/23/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Acquisition quality in analytical science is key to obtaining optimal data from a sample. In very high-resolution mass spectrometry, quality is driven by the optimization of multiple parameters, including the use of scans and micro-scans (or transients) for performing a Fourier transformation. METHODS Thirty-nine mass spectra of a single synthesized complex sample were acquired using various numbers of scans and micro-scans determined through a simple experimental design. An electrospray ionization source coupled with an LTQ Orbitrap XL™ mass spectrometer was used, and acquisition was performed using a single mass range. All the resulting spectra were treated in the same way to enable comparisons of assigned stoichiometric formulae between acquisitions. RESULTS Converting the number of scans into micro-scans enhances signal quality by lowering noise and reducing artifacts. This modification also increases the number of attributed stoichiometric formulae for an equivalent acquisition time, giving access to a larger molecular diversity for the analyzed complex sample. CONCLUSIONS For complex samples, the use of long acquisition times leads to optimal data quality, and the use of micro-scans instead of scans-only maximizes the number of attributed stoichiometric formulae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cédric Wolters
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, IPAG, Grenoble, 38000, France
| | | | - Chao He
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Junko Isa
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, IPAG, Grenoble, 38000, France
| | | | - Roland Thissen
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut de Chimie Physique UMR8000, Orsay, 91405, France
| | - Sarah Hörst
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
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19
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Seligmann H. First arrived, first served: competition between codons for codon-amino acid stereochemical interactions determined early genetic code assignments. Naturwissenschaften 2020; 107:20. [PMID: 32367155 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-020-01676-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2019] [Revised: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 04/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Stereochemical nucleotide-amino acid interactions, in the form of noncovalent nucleotide-amino acid interactions, potentially produced the genetic code's codon-amino acid assignments. Empirical estimates of single nucleotide-amino acid affinities on surfaces and in solution are used to test whether trinucleotide-amino acid affinities determined genetic code assignments pending the principle "first arrived, first served": presumed early amino acids have greater codon-amino acid affinities than ulterior ones. Here, these single nucleotide affinities are used to approximate all 64 × 20 trinucleotide-amino acid affinities. Analyses show that (1) on surfaces, genetic code codon-amino acid assignments tend to match high affinities for the amino acids that integrated earliest the genetic code (according to Wong's metabolic coevolution hypothesis between nucleotides and amino acids) and (2) in solution, the same principle holds for the anticodon-amino acid assignments. Affinity analyses match best genetic code assignments when assuming that trinucleotides competed for amino acids, rather than amino acids for trinucleotides. Codon-amino acid affinities stick better to genetic code assignments than anticodon-amino acid affinities. Presumably, two independent coding systems, on surfaces and in solution, converged, and formed the current translation system. Proto-translation on surfaces by direct codon-amino acid interactions without tRNA-like adaptors coadapted with a system emerging in solution by proto-tRNA anticodon-amino acid interactions. These systems assigned identical or similar cognates to codons on surfaces and to anticodons in solution. Results indicate that a prebiotic metabolism predated genetic code self-organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hervé Seligmann
- The National Natural History Collections, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 91904, Jerusalem, Israel. .,Faculty of Medicine, Université Grenoble Alpes, Laboratory AGEIS EA 7407, Team Tools for e-Gnosis Medical & Labcom CNRS/UGA/OrangeLabs Telecoms4Health, F-38700, La Tronche, France.
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20
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A never-ending story in the sky: The secrets of chemical evolution. Phys Life Rev 2020; 32:59-94. [DOI: 10.1016/j.plrev.2019.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2019] [Revised: 06/26/2019] [Accepted: 07/02/2019] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
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21
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Preiner M, Asche S, Becker S, Betts HC, Boniface A, Camprubi E, Chandru K, Erastova V, Garg SG, Khawaja N, Kostyrka G, Machné R, Moggioli G, Muchowska KB, Neukirchen S, Peter B, Pichlhöfer E, Radványi Á, Rossetto D, Salditt A, Schmelling NM, Sousa FL, Tria FDK, Vörös D, Xavier JC. The Future of Origin of Life Research: Bridging Decades-Old Divisions. Life (Basel) 2020; 10:E20. [PMID: 32110893 PMCID: PMC7151616 DOI: 10.3390/life10030020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Revised: 02/19/2020] [Accepted: 02/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Research on the origin of life is highly heterogeneous. After a peculiar historical development, it still includes strongly opposed views which potentially hinder progress. In the 1st Interdisciplinary Origin of Life Meeting, early-career researchers gathered to explore the commonalities between theories and approaches, critical divergence points, and expectations for the future. We find that even though classical approaches and theories-e.g. bottom-up and top-down, RNA world vs. metabolism-first-have been prevalent in origin of life research, they are ceasing to be mutually exclusive and they can and should feed integrating approaches. Here we focus on pressing questions and recent developments that bridge the classical disciplines and approaches, and highlight expectations for future endeavours in origin of life research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Preiner
- Institute of Molecular Evolution, University of Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany; (S.G.G.); (F.D.K.T.)
| | - Silke Asche
- School of Chemistry, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G128QQ, UK;
| | - Sidney Becker
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK;
| | - Holly C. Betts
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1RL, UK;
| | - Adrien Boniface
- Environmental Microbial Genomics, Laboratoire Ampère, Ecole Centrale de Lyon, Université de Lyon, 69130 Ecully, France;
| | - Eloi Camprubi
- Origins Center, Department of Earth Sciences, Utrecht University, 3584 CB Utrecht, The Netherlands;
| | - Kuhan Chandru
- Space Science Center (ANGKASA), Institute of Climate Change, Level 3, Research Complex, National University of Malaysia, UKM Bangi 43600, Selangor, Malaysia;
- Department of Physical Chemistry, University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague, Technicka 5, 16628 Prague 6–Dejvice, Czech Republic
| | - Valentina Erastova
- UK Centre for Astrobiology, School of Chemistry, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FJ, UK;
| | - Sriram G. Garg
- Institute of Molecular Evolution, University of Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany; (S.G.G.); (F.D.K.T.)
| | - Nozair Khawaja
- Institut für Geologische Wissenschaften, Freie Universität Berlin, 12249 Berlin, Germany;
| | | | - Rainer Machné
- Institute of Synthetic Microbiology, University of Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany; (R.M.); (N.M.S.)
- Quantitative and Theoretical Biology, University of Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Giacomo Moggioli
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4DQ, UK;
| | - Kamila B. Muchowska
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, ISIS, 8 allée Gaspard Monge, 67000 Strasbourg, France;
| | - Sinje Neukirchen
- Archaea Biology and Ecogenomics Division, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (S.N.); (E.P.); (F.L.S.)
| | - Benedikt Peter
- Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, 82152 Martinsried, Germany;
| | - Edith Pichlhöfer
- Archaea Biology and Ecogenomics Division, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (S.N.); (E.P.); (F.L.S.)
| | - Ádám Radványi
- Department of Plant Systematics, Ecology and Theoretical Biology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, 1117 Budapest, Hungary (D.V.)
- Institute of Evolution, MTA Centre for Ecological Research, Klebelsberg Kuno u. 3., H-8237 Tihany, Hungary
| | - Daniele Rossetto
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, 38123 Trento, Italy;
| | - Annalena Salditt
- Systems Biophysics, Physics Department, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 80799 Munich, Germany;
| | - Nicolas M. Schmelling
- Institute of Synthetic Microbiology, University of Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany; (R.M.); (N.M.S.)
- Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), University of Cologne, 50674 Cologne, Germany
| | - Filipa L. Sousa
- Archaea Biology and Ecogenomics Division, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (S.N.); (E.P.); (F.L.S.)
| | - Fernando D. K. Tria
- Institute of Molecular Evolution, University of Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany; (S.G.G.); (F.D.K.T.)
| | - Dániel Vörös
- Department of Plant Systematics, Ecology and Theoretical Biology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, 1117 Budapest, Hungary (D.V.)
- Institute of Evolution, MTA Centre for Ecological Research, Klebelsberg Kuno u. 3., H-8237 Tihany, Hungary
| | - Joana C. Xavier
- Institute of Molecular Evolution, University of Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany; (S.G.G.); (F.D.K.T.)
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Abstract
The chemistry of abiotic nucleotide synthesis of RNA and DNA in the context of their prebiotic origins on early earth is a continuing challenge. How did (or how can) the nucleotides form and assemble from the small molecule inventories and under conditions that prevailed on early earth 3.5-4 billion years ago? This review provides a background and up-to-date progress that will allow the reader to judge where the field stands currently and what remains to be achieved. We start with a brief primer on the biological synthesis of nucleotides, followed by an extensive focus on the prebiotic formation of the components of nucleotides-either via the synthesis of ribose and the canonical nucleobases and then joining them together or by building both the conjoined sugar and nucleobase, part-by-part-toward the ultimate goal of forming RNA and DNA by polymerization. The review will emphasize that there are-and will continue to be-many more questions than answers from the synthetic, mechanistic, and analytical perspectives. We wrap up the review with a cautionary note in this context about coming to conclusions as to whether the problem of chemistry of prebiotic nucleotide synthesis has been solved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahipal Yadav
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, United States.,NSF-NASA Center for Chemical Evolution, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Ravi Kumar
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, United States.,NSF-NASA Center for Chemical Evolution, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Ramanarayanan Krishnamurthy
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, United States.,NSF-NASA Center for Chemical Evolution, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
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23
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Nitrogen heterocycles form peptide nucleic acid precursors in complex prebiotic mixtures. Sci Rep 2019; 9:9281. [PMID: 31243303 PMCID: PMC6594999 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-45310-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2019] [Accepted: 05/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to store information is believed to have been crucial for the origin and evolution of life; however, little is known about the genetic polymers relevant to abiogenesis. Nitrogen heterocycles (N-heterocycles) are plausible components of such polymers as they may have been readily available on early Earth and are the means by which the extant genetic macromolecules RNA and DNA store information. Here, we report the reactivity of numerous N-heterocycles in highly complex mixtures, which were generated using a Miller-Urey spark discharge apparatus with either a reducing or neutral atmosphere, to investigate how N-heterocycles are modified under plausible prebiotic conditions. High throughput mass spectrometry was used to identify N-heterocycle adducts. Additionally, tandem mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy were used to elucidate reaction pathways for select reactions. Remarkably, we found that the majority of N-heterocycles, including the canonical nucleobases, gain short carbonyl side chains in our complex mixtures via a Strecker-like synthesis or Michael addition. These types of N-heterocycle adducts are subunits of the proposed RNA precursor, peptide nucleic acids (PNAs). The ease with which these carbonylated heterocycles form under both reducing and neutral atmospheres is suggestive that PNAs could be prebiotically feasible on early Earth.
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24
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Lombardi A, Pirani F, Bartolomei M, Coletti C, Laganà A. Full Dimensional Potential Energy Function and Calculation of State-Specific Properties of the CO+N 2 Inelastic Processes Within an Open Molecular Science Cloud Perspective. Front Chem 2019; 7:309. [PMID: 31192186 PMCID: PMC6540877 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2019.00309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2019] [Accepted: 04/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
A full dimensional Potential Energy Surface (PES) of the CO + N2 system has been generated by extending an approach already reported in the literature and applied to N2-N2 (Cappelletti et al., 2008), CO2-CO2 (Bartolomei et al., 2012), and CO2-N2 (Lombardi et al., 2016b) systems. The generation procedure leverages at the same time experimental measurements and high-level ab initio electronic structure calculations. The procedure adopts an analytic formulation of the PES accounting for the dependence of the electrostatic and non-electrostatic components of the intermolecular interaction on the deformation of the monomers. In particular, the CO and N2 molecular multipole moments and electronic polarizabilities, the basic physical properties controlling the behavior at intermediate and long-range distances of the interaction components, were made to depend on relevant internal coordinates. The formulated PES exhibits substantial advantages when used for structural and dynamical calculations. This makes it also well suited for reuse in Open Molecular Science Cloud services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Lombardi
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Biologia e Biotecnologie, Università di Perugia, Perugia, Italy.,Consortium for Computational Molecular and Materials Sciences (CMS)2, Perugia, Italy
| | - Fernando Pirani
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Biologia e Biotecnologie, Università di Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Massimiliano Bartolomei
- Instituto de Física Fundamental, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid, Spain
| | - Cecilia Coletti
- Dipartimento di Farmacia, Università "G. d'Annunzio" Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Antonio Laganà
- Consortium for Computational Molecular and Materials Sciences (CMS)2, Perugia, Italy.,CNR ISTM-UOS Perugia, Perugia, Italy.,Master-UP srl, Perugia, Italy
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Kawai J, Kebukawa Y, McKay CP, Kobayashi K. Nucleic acid bases in Titan tholins and possible genetic systems in the Titan liquidosphere. LIFE SCIENCES IN SPACE RESEARCH 2019; 20:20-29. [PMID: 30797431 DOI: 10.1016/j.lssr.2018.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2018] [Revised: 11/18/2018] [Accepted: 11/26/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Titan is the largest moon of Saturn and possesses a dense atmosphere composed of nitrogen and methane. Various types of organic compounds (hydrocarbons, nitriles, etc.) have been found on Titan, which were generated by reactions taking place in its atmosphere. These reactions are considered to provide crucial evidence for chemical reactions which may have occurred in the atmosphere of primitive Earth. Cassini discovered several lakes of liquid methane and ethane on Titan's surface; in addition, the presence of ammonia water in its sub-surface was implied. In order to simulate the chemical reactions in Titan's atmosphere, gas mixtures of nitrogen and methane have been exposed to plasma discharges to synthesize complex organic matters. In this study, we focused on the formation of nucleic acid bases and related compounds recovered from synthesized Titan tholins. The five nucleic acid bases that terrestrial life uses (adenine, cytosine, thymine, guanine, and uracil) have already been reported to be present in synthesized Titan tholins. Purines and pyrimidines, including the five aforementioned nucleic acid bases, were extracted from synthesized Titan tholins and analyzed by HPLC and LC/MS. As a result, the pyrimidine bases of isocytosine and 2, 4-diaminopyrimidine were detected together with the terrestrial nucleic acid bases of adenine, uracil, and cytosine. The results obtained in conjunction with those from previous studies show that some nucleic acid bases and related pyrimidine bases are found in synthesized Titan tholins, suggesting that chemical evolutions toward xenogenetic systems could occur in Titan's environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Kawai
- High Energy Accelerator Research Organization, 1-1 Oho, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-0801, Japan.
| | - Yoko Kebukawa
- Yokohama National University, 79-1 Tokiwadai, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama, 240-8501, Japan.
| | | | - Kensei Kobayashi
- Yokohama National University, 79-1 Tokiwadai, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama, 240-8501, Japan.
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26
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Arevalo R, Selliez L, Briois C, Carrasco N, Thirkell L, Cherville B, Colin F, Gaubicher B, Farcy B, Li X, Makarov A. An Orbitrap-based laser desorption/ablation mass spectrometer designed for spaceflight. RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY : RCM 2018; 32:1875-1886. [PMID: 30048021 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.8244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2018] [Revised: 07/05/2018] [Accepted: 07/18/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE The investigation of cryogenic planetary environments as potential harbors for extant life and/or contemporary sites of organic synthesis represents an emerging focal point in planetary exploration. Next generation instruments need to be capable of unambiguously determining elemental and/or molecular stoichiometry via highly accurate mass measurements and the separation of isobaric interferences. METHODS An Orbitrap™ analyzer adapted for spaceflight (referred to as the CosmOrbitrap), coupled with a commercial pulsed UV laser source (266 nm), was used to successfully characterize a variety of planetary analog samples via ultrahigh resolution laser desorption/ablation mass spectrometry. The materials analyzed in this study include: jarosite (a hydrous sulfate detected on Mars); magnesium sulfate (a potential component of the subsurface ocean on Europa); uracil (a nucleobase of RNA); and a variety of amino acids. RESULTS The instrument configuration tested here enables: measurement of major elements and organic molecules with ultrahigh mass resolution (m/Δm ≥ 120,000, FWHM); quantification of isotopic abundances with <1.0% (2σ) precision; and identification of highly accurate masses within 3.2 ppm of absolute values. The analysis of a residue of a dilute solution of amino acids demonstrates the capacity to detect twelve amino acids in positive ion mode at concentrations as low as ≤1 pmol/mm2 while maintaining mass resolution and accuracy requirements. CONCLUSIONS The CosmOrbitrap mass analyzer is highly sensitive and delivers mass resolution/accuracy unmatched by any instrument sent into orbit or launched into deep space. This prototype instrument, which maps to a spaceflight implementation, represents a mission-enabling technology capable of advancing planetary exploration for decades to come.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo Arevalo
- Department of Geology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Laura Selliez
- Laboratoire de Physique et Chimie de l'Environnement et de l'Espace (LPC2E), UMR 7328 du CNRS, 45071, Orléans, France
- Laboratoire Atmosphères, Milieux, Observations Spatiales (LATMOS), 78280, Guyancourt, France
| | - Christelle Briois
- Laboratoire de Physique et Chimie de l'Environnement et de l'Espace (LPC2E), UMR 7328 du CNRS, 45071, Orléans, France
| | - Nathalie Carrasco
- Laboratoire Atmosphères, Milieux, Observations Spatiales (LATMOS), 78280, Guyancourt, France
| | - Laurent Thirkell
- Laboratoire de Physique et Chimie de l'Environnement et de l'Espace (LPC2E), UMR 7328 du CNRS, 45071, Orléans, France
| | - Barnabé Cherville
- Laboratoire de Physique et Chimie de l'Environnement et de l'Espace (LPC2E), UMR 7328 du CNRS, 45071, Orléans, France
| | - Fabrice Colin
- Laboratoire de Physique et Chimie de l'Environnement et de l'Espace (LPC2E), UMR 7328 du CNRS, 45071, Orléans, France
| | - Bertrand Gaubicher
- Laboratoire de Physique et Chimie de l'Environnement et de l'Espace (LPC2E), UMR 7328 du CNRS, 45071, Orléans, France
| | - Benjamin Farcy
- Department of Geology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Xiang Li
- Center for Space Science & Technology, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD, 21250, USA
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27
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28
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Neish CD, Lorenz RD, Turtle EP, Barnes JW, Trainer MG, Stiles B, Kirk R, Hibbitts CA, Malaska MJ. Strategies for Detecting Biological Molecules on Titan. ASTROBIOLOGY 2018; 18:571-585. [PMID: 29718687 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2017.1758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Saturn's moon Titan has all the ingredients needed to produce "life as we know it." When exposed to liquid water, organic molecules analogous to those found on Titan produce a range of biomolecules such as amino acids. Titan thus provides a natural laboratory for studying the products of prebiotic chemistry. In this work, we examine the ideal locales to search for evidence of, or progression toward, life on Titan. We determine that the best sites to identify biological molecules are deposits of impact melt on the floors of large, fresh impact craters, specifically Sinlap, Selk, and Menrva craters. We find that it is not possible to identify biomolecules on Titan through remote sensing, but rather through in situ measurements capable of identifying a wide range of biological molecules. Given the nonuniformity of impact melt exposures on the floor of a weathered impact crater, the ideal lander would be capable of precision targeting. This would allow it to identify the locations of fresh impact melt deposits, and/or sites where the melt deposits have been exposed through erosion or mass wasting. Determining the extent of prebiotic chemistry within these melt deposits would help us to understand how life could originate on a world very different from Earth. Key Words: Titan-Prebiotic chemistry-Solar system exploration-Impact processes-Volcanism. Astrobiology 18, 571-585.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine D Neish
- 1 Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Western Ontario , London, Canada
| | - Ralph D Lorenz
- 2 The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory , Laurel, Maryland
| | | | - Jason W Barnes
- 3 Department of Physics, University of Idaho , Moscow, Idaho
| | | | - Bryan Stiles
- 5 Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology , Pasadena, California
| | - Randolph Kirk
- 6 United States Geological Survey, Astrogeology Science Center , Flagstaff, Arizona
| | | | - Michael J Malaska
- 5 Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology , Pasadena, California
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29
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Jeilani YA, Ross B, Aweis N, Fearce C, Minh Hung H, Nguyen MT. Reaction Routes for Experimentally Observed Intermediates in the Prebiotic Formation of Nucleobases under High-Temperature Conditions. J Phys Chem A 2018; 122:2992-3003. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.7b11466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yassin A. Jeilani
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Spelman College, 350 Spelman Lane, S.W., Box 1134, Atlanta, Georgia 30314, United States
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, University of Hail, Hail, Saudi Arabia
| | - Brooke Ross
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Spelman College, 350 Spelman Lane, S.W., Box 1134, Atlanta, Georgia 30314, United States
| | - Nasrin Aweis
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Spelman College, 350 Spelman Lane, S.W., Box 1134, Atlanta, Georgia 30314, United States
| | - Chelesa Fearce
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Spelman College, 350 Spelman Lane, S.W., Box 1134, Atlanta, Georgia 30314, United States
| | - Huynh Minh Hung
- Department of Chemistry, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Minh Tho Nguyen
- Department of Chemistry, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium
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30
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Spectroscopic Characterization of Key Aromatic and Heterocyclic Molecules: A Route toward the Origin of Life. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 154. [DOI: 10.3847/1538-3881/aa7d54] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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31
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Kobayashi K, Geppert WD, Carrasco N, Holm NG, Mousis O, Palumbo ME, Waite JH, Watanabe N, Ziurys LM. Laboratory Studies of Methane and Its Relationship to Prebiotic Chemistry. ASTROBIOLOGY 2017; 17:786-812. [PMID: 28727932 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2016.1492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
To examine how prebiotic chemical evolution took place on Earth prior to the emergence of life, laboratory experiments have been conducted since the 1950s. Methane has been one of the key molecules in these investigations. In earlier studies, strongly reducing gas mixtures containing methane and ammonia were used to simulate possible reactions in the primitive atmosphere of Earth, producing amino acids and other organic compounds. Since Earth's early atmosphere is now considered to be less reducing, the contribution of extraterrestrial organics to chemical evolution has taken on an important role. Such organic molecules may have come from molecular clouds and regions of star formation that created protoplanetary disks, planets, asteroids, and comets. The interstellar origin of organics has been examined both experimentally and theoretically, including laboratory investigations that simulate interstellar molecular reactions. Endogenous and exogenous organics could also have been supplied to the primitive ocean, making submarine hydrothermal systems plausible sites of the generation of life. Experiments that simulate such hydrothermal systems where methane played an important role have consequently been conducted. Processes that occur in other Solar System bodies offer clues to the prebiotic chemistry of Earth. Titan and other icy bodies, where methane plays significant roles, are especially good targets. In the case of Titan, methane is both in the atmosphere and in liquidospheres that are composed of methane and other hydrocarbons, and these have been studied in simulation experiments. Here, we review the wide range of experimental work in which these various terrestrial and extraterrestrial environments have been modeled, and we examine the possible role of methane in chemical evolution. Key Words: Methane-Interstellar environments-Submarine hydrothermal systems-Titan-Origin of life. Astrobiology 17, 786-812.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kensei Kobayashi
- 1 Department of Chemistry, Yokohama National University , Yokohama, Japan
| | - Wolf D Geppert
- 2 Department of Geological Sciences, Stockholm University , Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Nathalie Carrasco
- 3 LATMOS, Université Versailles St-Quentin , UPMC, CNRS, Guyancourt, France
| | - Nils G Holm
- 2 Department of Geological Sciences, Stockholm University , Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Olivier Mousis
- 4 Aix Marseille Université , CNRS, LAM (Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille) UMR 7326, Marseille, France
| | | | - J Hunter Waite
- 6 Southwest Research Institute , San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Naoki Watanabe
- 7 Institute of Low Temperature Science, Hokkaido University , Sapporo, Japan
| | - Lucy M Ziurys
- 8 Department of Astronomy, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Steward Observatory, University of Arizona , Tucson, Arizona, USA
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33
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Ferus M, Pietrucci F, Saitta AM, Knížek A, Kubelík P, Ivanek O, Shestivska V, Civiš S. Formation of nucleobases in a Miller-Urey reducing atmosphere. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:4306-4311. [PMID: 28396441 PMCID: PMC5410828 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1700010114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The Miller-Urey experiments pioneered modern research on the molecular origins of life, but their actual relevance in this field was later questioned because the gas mixture used in their research is considered too reducing with respect to the most accepted hypotheses for the conditions on primordial Earth. In particular, the production of only amino acids has been taken as evidence of the limited relevance of the results. Here, we report an experimental work, combined with state-of-the-art computational methods, in which both electric discharge and laser-driven plasma impact simulations were carried out in a reducing atmosphere containing NH3 + CO. We show that RNA nucleobases are synthesized in these experiments, strongly supporting the possibility of the emergence of biologically relevant molecules in a reducing atmosphere. The reconstructed synthetic pathways indicate that small radicals and formamide play a crucial role, in agreement with a number of recent experimental and theoretical results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Ferus
- J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, CZ18223 Prague 8, Czech Republic
| | - Fabio Pietrucci
- Institut de Minéralogie, de Physique des Matériaux et de Cosmochimie, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Sorbonne Universités, CNRS, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, UMR 7590, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Antonino Marco Saitta
- Institut de Minéralogie, de Physique des Matériaux et de Cosmochimie, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Sorbonne Universités, CNRS, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, UMR 7590, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Antonín Knížek
- J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, CZ18223 Prague 8, Czech Republic
- Department of Physical and Macromolecular Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, CZ12840 Prague 2, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Kubelík
- J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, CZ18223 Prague 8, Czech Republic
| | - Ondřej Ivanek
- J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, CZ18223 Prague 8, Czech Republic
| | - Violetta Shestivska
- J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, CZ18223 Prague 8, Czech Republic
| | - Svatopluk Civiš
- J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, CZ18223 Prague 8, Czech Republic;
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Vignoli Muniz GS, Mejía CF, Martinez R, Auge B, Rothard H, Domaracka A, Boduch P. Radioresistance of Adenine to Cosmic Rays. ASTROBIOLOGY 2017; 17:298-308. [PMID: 28418703 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2016.1488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The presence of nucleobases in carbonaceous meteorites on Earth is an indication of the existence of this class of molecules in outer space. However, space is permeated by ionizing radiation, which can have damaging effects on these molecules. Adenine is a purine nucleobase that amalgamates important biomolecules such as DNA, RNA, and ATP. Adenine has a unique importance in biochemistry and therefore life. The aim of this work was to study the effects of cosmic ray analogues on solid adenine and estimate its survival when exposed to corpuscular radiation. Adenine films were irradiated at GANIL (Caen, France) and GSI (Darmstadt, Germany) by 820 MeV Kr33+, 190 MeV Ca10+, 92 MeV Xe23+, and 12 MeV C4+ ion beams at low temperature. The evolution of adenine molecules under heavy ion irradiation was studied by IR absorption spectroscopy as a function of projectile fluence. It was found that the adenine destruction cross section (σd) follows an electronic stopping power (Se) power law under the form: CSen; C is a constant, and the exponential n is a dimensionless quantity. Using the equation above to fit our results, we determined σd = 4 × 10-17 Se1.17, with Se in kiloelectronvolts per micrometer (keV μm-1). New IR absorption bands arise under irradiation of adenine and can be attributed to HCN, CN-, C2H4N4, CH3CN, and (CH3)3CNC. These findings may help to understand the stability and chemistry related to complex organic molecules in space. The half-life of solid adenine exposed to the simulated interstellar medium cosmic ray flux was estimated as (10 ± 8) × 106 years. Key Words: Heavy ions-Infrared spectroscopy-Astrochemistry-Cosmic rays-Nucleobases-Adenine. Astrobiology 17, 298-308.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel S Vignoli Muniz
- 1 Centre de Recherche sur les Ions, les Matériaux et la Photonique, Normandie Univ , ENSICAEN, UNICAEN, CEA, CNRS, CIMAP, Caen, France
| | - Christian F Mejía
- 1 Centre de Recherche sur les Ions, les Matériaux et la Photonique, Normandie Univ , ENSICAEN, UNICAEN, CEA, CNRS, CIMAP, Caen, France
- 2 Departamento de Física, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro , Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Rafael Martinez
- 1 Centre de Recherche sur les Ions, les Matériaux et la Photonique, Normandie Univ , ENSICAEN, UNICAEN, CEA, CNRS, CIMAP, Caen, France
- 3 Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal do Amapá , Macapá, Brazil
| | - Basile Auge
- 1 Centre de Recherche sur les Ions, les Matériaux et la Photonique, Normandie Univ , ENSICAEN, UNICAEN, CEA, CNRS, CIMAP, Caen, France
| | - Hermann Rothard
- 1 Centre de Recherche sur les Ions, les Matériaux et la Photonique, Normandie Univ , ENSICAEN, UNICAEN, CEA, CNRS, CIMAP, Caen, France
| | - Alicja Domaracka
- 1 Centre de Recherche sur les Ions, les Matériaux et la Photonique, Normandie Univ , ENSICAEN, UNICAEN, CEA, CNRS, CIMAP, Caen, France
| | - Philippe Boduch
- 1 Centre de Recherche sur les Ions, les Matériaux et la Photonique, Normandie Univ , ENSICAEN, UNICAEN, CEA, CNRS, CIMAP, Caen, France
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Arney G, Domagal-Goldman SD, Meadows VS, Wolf ET, Schwieterman E, Charnay B, Claire M, Hébrard E, Trainer MG. The Pale Orange Dot: The Spectrum and Habitability of Hazy Archean Earth. ASTROBIOLOGY 2016; 16:873-899. [PMID: 27792417 PMCID: PMC5148108 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2015.1422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2015] [Accepted: 07/13/2016] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Recognizing whether a planet can support life is a primary goal of future exoplanet spectral characterization missions, but past research on habitability assessment has largely ignored the vastly different conditions that have existed in our planet's long habitable history. This study presents simulations of a habitable yet dramatically different phase of Earth's history, when the atmosphere contained a Titan-like, organic-rich haze. Prior work has claimed a haze-rich Archean Earth (3.8-2.5 billion years ago) would be frozen due to the haze's cooling effects. However, no previous studies have self-consistently taken into account climate, photochemistry, and fractal hazes. Here, we demonstrate using coupled climate-photochemical-microphysical simulations that hazes can cool the planet's surface by about 20 K, but habitable conditions with liquid surface water could be maintained with a relatively thick haze layer (τ ∼ 5 at 200 nm) even with the fainter young Sun. We find that optically thicker hazes are self-limiting due to their self-shielding properties, preventing catastrophic cooling of the planet. Hazes may even enhance planetary habitability through UV shielding, reducing surface UV flux by about 97% compared to a haze-free planet and potentially allowing survival of land-based organisms 2.7-2.6 billion years ago. The broad UV absorption signature produced by this haze may be visible across interstellar distances, allowing characterization of similar hazy exoplanets. The haze in Archean Earth's atmosphere was strongly dependent on biologically produced methane, and we propose that hydrocarbon haze may be a novel type of spectral biosignature on planets with substantial levels of CO2. Hazy Archean Earth is the most alien world for which we have geochemical constraints on environmental conditions, providing a useful analogue for similar habitable, anoxic exoplanets. Key Words: Haze-Archean Earth-Exoplanets-Spectra-Biosignatures-Planetary habitability. Astrobiology 16, 873-899.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giada Arney
- Astronomy Department, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- NASA Astrobiology Institute Virtual Planetary Laboratory, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Astrobiology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Now at: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA
- Now at: NASA Postdoctoral Program, Universities Space Research Association, Columbia, Maryland, USA
| | - Shawn D. Domagal-Goldman
- NASA Astrobiology Institute Virtual Planetary Laboratory, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA
| | - Victoria S. Meadows
- Astronomy Department, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- NASA Astrobiology Institute Virtual Planetary Laboratory, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Astrobiology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Eric T. Wolf
- Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Edward Schwieterman
- Astronomy Department, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- NASA Astrobiology Institute Virtual Planetary Laboratory, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Astrobiology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Now at: NASA Postdoctoral Program, Universities Space Research Association, Columbia, Maryland, USA
- Now at: University of California at Riverside, Riverside, California, USA
- Blue Marble Institute of Science, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Benjamin Charnay
- Astronomy Department, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- NASA Astrobiology Institute Virtual Planetary Laboratory, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Astrobiology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Now at: Paris-Meudon Observatory, Paris, France
| | - Mark Claire
- NASA Astrobiology Institute Virtual Planetary Laboratory, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Blue Marble Institute of Science, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - Eric Hébrard
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA
- University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon, UK
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36
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Moses JI, Marley MS, Zahnle K, Line MR, Fortney JJ, Barman TS, Visscher C, Lewis NK, Wolff MJ. ON THE COMPOSITION OF YOUNG, DIRECTLY IMAGED GIANT PLANETS. THE ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL 2016; 829:66. [PMID: 31171882 PMCID: PMC6547835 DOI: 10.3847/0004-637x/829/2/66] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The past decade has seen significant progress on the direct detection and characterization of young, self-luminous giant planets at wide orbital separations from their host stars. Some of these planets show evidence for disequilibrium processes like transport-induced quenching in their atmospheres; photochemistry may also be important, despite the large orbital distances. These disequilibrium chemical processes can alter the expected composition, spectral behavior, thermal structure, and cooling history of the planets, and can potentially confuse determinations of bulk elemental ratios, which provide important insights into planet-formation mechanisms. Using a thermo/photochemical kinetics and transport model, we investigate the extent to which disequilibrium chemistry affects the composition and spectra of directly imaged giant exoplanets. Results for specific "young Jupiters" such as HR 8799 b and 51 Eri b are presented, as are general trends as a function of planetary effective temperature, surface gravity, incident ultraviolet flux, and strength of deep atmospheric convection. We find that quenching is very important on young Jupiters, leading to CO/CH4 and N2/NH3 ratios much greater than, and H2O mixing ratios a factor of a few less than, chemical-equilibrium predictions. Photochemistry can also be important on such planets, with CO2 and HCN being key photochemical products. Carbon dioxide becomes a major constituent when stratospheric temperatures are low and recycling of water via the H2 + OH reaction becomes kinetically stifled. Young Jupiters with effective temperatures ≲700 K are in a particularly interesting photochemical regime that differs from both transiting hot Jupiters and our own solar-system giant planets.
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Affiliation(s)
- J I Moses
- Space Science Institute, 4750 Walnut Street, Suite 205, Boulder, CO 80301, USA
| | - M S Marley
- NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
| | - K Zahnle
- NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
| | - M R Line
- Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - J J Fortney
- Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - T S Barman
- Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - C Visscher
- Dordt College, Sioux Center, IA 51250, USA and Space Science Institute, Boulder, CO 80301, USA
| | - N K Lewis
- Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - M J Wolff
- Space Science Institute, Boulder, CO 80301, USA
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37
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Cunha de Miranda B, Garcia GA, Gaie-Levrel F, Mahjoub A, Gautier T, Fleury B, Nahon L, Pernot P, Carrasco N. Molecular Isomer Identification of Titan’s Tholins Organic Aerosols by Photoelectron/Photoion Coincidence Spectroscopy Coupled to VUV Synchrotron Radiation. J Phys Chem A 2016; 120:6529-40. [PMID: 27471793 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.6b03346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Cunha de Miranda
- Synchrotron SOLEIL, DESIRS Beamline, L’Orme des Merisiers, St Aubin, 91192 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France
| | - Gustavo A. Garcia
- Synchrotron SOLEIL, DESIRS Beamline, L’Orme des Merisiers, St Aubin, 91192 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France
| | - François Gaie-Levrel
- Synchrotron SOLEIL, DESIRS Beamline, L’Orme des Merisiers, St Aubin, 91192 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France
- Gas
and Aerosol Metrology Department, Chemistry and Biology
Division, Laboratoire National de Métrologie et d’Essais − LNE (National Metrology Institute and Testing Laboratory), 1 rue Gaston
Boissier, 75724 Paris Cedex 15, France
| | - Ahmed Mahjoub
- Université Versailles St-Quentin; Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Université Paris 06, CNRS/INSU, LATMOS-IPSL, 11 Boulevard d’Alembert, 78280 Guyancourt, France
| | - Thomas Gautier
- Université Versailles St-Quentin; Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Université Paris 06, CNRS/INSU, LATMOS-IPSL, 11 Boulevard d’Alembert, 78280 Guyancourt, France
- NASA Postdoctoral Program, GSFC, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, United States
| | - Benjamin Fleury
- Université Versailles St-Quentin; Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Université Paris 06, CNRS/INSU, LATMOS-IPSL, 11 Boulevard d’Alembert, 78280 Guyancourt, France
| | - Laurent Nahon
- Synchrotron SOLEIL, DESIRS Beamline, L’Orme des Merisiers, St Aubin, 91192 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France
| | - Pascal Pernot
- Laboratoire de
Chimie Physique, UMR8000 CNRS/Université Paris-Sud, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France
| | - Nathalie Carrasco
- Université Versailles St-Quentin; Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Université Paris 06, CNRS/INSU, LATMOS-IPSL, 11 Boulevard d’Alembert, 78280 Guyancourt, France
- Institut Universitaire de France, 103 Boulevard St-Michel, 75005 Paris, France
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38
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Domagal-Goldman SD, Wright KE, Adamala K, Arina de la Rubia L, Bond J, Dartnell LR, Goldman AD, Lynch K, Naud ME, Paulino-Lima IG, Singer K, Walther-Antonio M, Abrevaya XC, Anderson R, Arney G, Atri D, Azúa-Bustos A, Bowman JS, Brazelton WJ, Brennecka GA, Carns R, Chopra A, Colangelo-Lillis J, Crockett CJ, DeMarines J, Frank EA, Frantz C, de la Fuente E, Galante D, Glass J, Gleeson D, Glein CR, Goldblatt C, Horak R, Horodyskyj L, Kaçar B, Kereszturi A, Knowles E, Mayeur P, McGlynn S, Miguel Y, Montgomery M, Neish C, Noack L, Rugheimer S, Stüeken EE, Tamez-Hidalgo P, Imari Walker S, Wong T. The Astrobiology Primer v2.0. ASTROBIOLOGY 2016; 16:561-653. [PMID: 27532777 PMCID: PMC5008114 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2015.1460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2015] [Accepted: 06/06/2016] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Shawn D Domagal-Goldman
- 1 NASA Goddard Space Flight Center , Greenbelt, Maryland, USA
- 2 Virtual Planetary Laboratory , Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Katherine E Wright
- 3 University of Colorado at Boulder , Colorado, USA
- 4 Present address: UK Space Agency, UK
| | - Katarzyna Adamala
- 5 Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota , Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | | | - Jade Bond
- 7 Department of Physics, University of New South Wales , Sydney, Australia
| | | | | | - Kennda Lynch
- 10 Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana , Missoula, Montana, USA
| | - Marie-Eve Naud
- 11 Institute for research on exoplanets (iREx) , Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
| | - Ivan G Paulino-Lima
- 12 Universities Space Research Association , Mountain View, California, USA
- 13 Blue Marble Space Institute of Science , Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Kelsi Singer
- 14 Southwest Research Institute , Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | | | - Ximena C Abrevaya
- 16 Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio (IAFE) , UBA-CONICET, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Rika Anderson
- 17 Department of Biology, Carleton College , Northfield, Minnesota, USA
| | - Giada Arney
- 18 University of Washington Astronomy Department and Astrobiology Program , Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Dimitra Atri
- 13 Blue Marble Space Institute of Science , Seattle, Washington, USA
| | | | - Jeff S Bowman
- 19 Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University , Palisades, New York, USA
| | | | | | - Regina Carns
- 22 Polar Science Center, Applied Physics Laboratory, University of Washington , Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Aditya Chopra
- 23 Planetary Science Institute, Research School of Earth Sciences, Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, The Australian National University , Canberra, Australia
| | - Jesse Colangelo-Lillis
- 24 Earth and Planetary Science, McGill University , and the McGill Space Institute, Montréal, Canada
| | | | - Julia DeMarines
- 13 Blue Marble Space Institute of Science , Seattle, Washington, USA
| | | | - Carie Frantz
- 27 Department of Geosciences, Weber State University , Ogden, Utah, USA
| | - Eduardo de la Fuente
- 28 IAM-Departamento de Fisica, CUCEI , Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, México
| | - Douglas Galante
- 29 Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory , Campinas, Brazil
| | - Jennifer Glass
- 30 School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology , Atlanta, Georgia , USA
| | | | | | - Colin Goldblatt
- 33 School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, University of Victoria , Victoria, Canada
| | - Rachel Horak
- 34 American Society for Microbiology , Washington, DC, USA
| | | | - Betül Kaçar
- 36 Harvard University , Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Akos Kereszturi
- 37 Research Centre for Astronomy and Earth Sciences , Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Emily Knowles
- 38 Johnson & Wales University , Denver, Colorado, USA
| | - Paul Mayeur
- 39 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute , Troy, New York, USA
| | - Shawn McGlynn
- 40 Earth Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology , Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yamila Miguel
- 41 Laboratoire Lagrange, UMR 7293, Université Nice Sophia Antipolis , CNRS, Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, Nice, France
| | | | - Catherine Neish
- 43 Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Western Ontario , London, Canada
| | - Lena Noack
- 44 Royal Observatory of Belgium , Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sarah Rugheimer
- 45 Department of Astronomy, Harvard University , Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- 46 University of St. Andrews , St. Andrews, UK
| | - Eva E Stüeken
- 47 University of Washington , Seattle, Washington, USA
- 48 University of California , Riverside, California, USA
| | | | - Sara Imari Walker
- 13 Blue Marble Space Institute of Science , Seattle, Washington, USA
- 50 School of Earth and Space Exploration and Beyond Center for Fundamental Concepts in Science, Arizona State University , Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Teresa Wong
- 51 Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis , St. Louis, Missouri, USA
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39
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Brohi ROZZ, Khuhawar MY, Khuhawar TMJ. GC-FID determination of nucleobases guanine, adenine, cytosine, and thymine from DNA by precolumn derivatization with isobutyl chloroformate. J Anal Sci Technol 2016. [DOI: 10.1186/s40543-016-0090-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
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40
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Somogyi Á, Thissen R, Orthous-Daunay FR, Vuitton V. The Role of Ultrahigh Resolution Fourier Transform Mass Spectrometry (FT-MS) in Astrobiology-Related Research: Analysis of Meteorites and Tholins. Int J Mol Sci 2016; 17:439. [PMID: 27023520 PMCID: PMC4848895 DOI: 10.3390/ijms17040439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2015] [Revised: 03/09/2016] [Accepted: 03/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
It is an important but also a challenging analytical problem to understand the chemical composition and structure of prebiotic organic matter that is present in extraterrestrial materials. Its formation, evolution and content in the building blocks ("seeds") for more complex molecules, such as proteins and DNA, are key questions in the field of exobiology. Ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometry is one of the best analytical techniques that can be applied because it provides reliable information on the chemical composition and structure of individual components of complex organic mixtures. Prebiotic organic material is delivered to Earth by meteorites or generated in laboratories in simulation (model) experiments that mimic space or atmospheric conditions. Recent representative examples for ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometry studies using Fourier-transform (FT) mass spectrometers such as Orbitrap and ion cyclotron resonance (ICR) mass spectrometers are shown and discussed in the present article, including: (i) the analysis of organic matter of meteorites; (ii) modeling atmospheric processes in ICR cells; and (iii) the structural analysis of laboratory made tholins that might be present in the atmosphere and surface of Saturn's largest moon, Titan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Árpád Somogyi
- Campus Chemical Instrument Center, Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics Laboratory, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
| | - Roland Thissen
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, IPAG, Grenoble F-38000, France.
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41
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Wang ZC, Cole CA, Demarais NJ, Snow TP, Bierbaum VM. Reactions of Azine Anions with Nitrogen and Oxygen Atoms: Implications for Titan’s Upper Atmosphere and Interstellar Chemistry. J Am Chem Soc 2015; 137:10700-9. [DOI: 10.1021/jacs.5b06089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zhe-Chen Wang
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Callie A. Cole
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Nicholas J. Demarais
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Theodore P. Snow
- Department
of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
- Center
for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Veronica M. Bierbaum
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
- Center
for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
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42
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Kimura J, Kitadai N. Polymerization of Building Blocks of Life on Europa and Other Icy Moons. ASTROBIOLOGY 2015; 15:430-41. [PMID: 26060981 PMCID: PMC4490594 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2015.1306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
The outer Solar System may provide a potential habitat for extraterrestrial life. Remote sensing data from the Galileo spacecraft suggest that the jovian icy moons--Europa, Ganymede, and possibly Callisto--may harbor liquid water oceans underneath their icy crusts. Although compositional information required for the discussion of habitability is limited because of significantly restricted observation data, organic molecules are ubiquitous in the Universe. Recently, in situ spacecraft measurements and experiments suggest that amino acids can be formed abiotically on interstellar ices and comets. These amino acids could be continuously delivered by meteorite or comet impacts to icy moons. Here, we show that polymerization of organic monomers, in particular amino acids and nucleotides, could proceed spontaneously in the cold environment of icy moons, in particular the jovian icy moon Europa as a typical example, based on thermodynamic calculations, though kinetics of formation are not addressed. Observed surface temperature on Europa is 120 and 80 K in the equatorial region and polar region, respectively. At such low temperatures, Gibbs energies of polymerization become negative, and the estimated thermal structure of the icy crust should contain a shallow region (i.e., at a depth of only a few kilometers) favorable for polymerization. Investigation of the possibility of organic monomer polymerization on icy moons could provide good constraints on the origin and early evolution of extraterrestrial life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Kimura
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology , Tokyo, Japan
| | - Norio Kitadai
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology , Tokyo, Japan
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43
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Barone V, Biczysko M, Puzzarini C. Quantum Chemistry Meets Spectroscopy for Astrochemistry: Increasing Complexity toward Prebiotic Molecules. Acc Chem Res 2015; 48:1413-22. [PMID: 25894724 DOI: 10.1021/ar5003285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
For many years, scientists suspected that the interstellar medium was too hostile for organic species and that only a few simple molecules could be formed under such extreme conditions. However, the detection of approximately 180 molecules in interstellar or circumstellar environments in recent decades has changed this view dramatically. A rich chemistry has emerged, and relatively complex molecules such as C60 and C70 are formed. Recently, researchers have also detected complex organic and potentially prebiotic molecules, such as amino acids, in meteorites and in other space environments. Those discoveries have further stimulated the debate on the origin of the building blocks of life in the universe. Many efforts continue to focus on the physical, chemical, and astrophysical processes by which prebiotic molecules can be formed in the interstellar dust and dispersed to Earth or to other planets.Spectroscopic techniques, which are widely used to infer information about molecular structure and dynamics, play a crucial role in the investigation of planetary atmosphere and the interstellar medium. Increasingly these astrochemical investigations are assisted by quantum-mechanical calculations of structures as well as spectroscopic and thermodynamic properties, such as transition frequencies and reaction enthalpies, to guide and support observations, line assignments, and data analysis in these new and chemically complicated situations. However, it has proved challenging to extend accurate quantum-chemical computational approaches to larger systems because of the unfavorable scaling with the number of degrees of freedom (both electronic and nuclear).In this Account, we show that it is now possible to compute physicochemical properties of building blocks of biomolecules with an accuracy rivaling that of the most sophisticated experimental techniques, and we summarize specific contributions from our groups. As a test case, we present the underlying computational machinery through the investigation of oxirane. We describe how we determine the molecular structure and then how we characterize the rotational and IR spectra, the most important issues for a correct theoretical description and a proper comparison with experiment. Next, we analyze the spectroscopic properties of representative building blocks of DNA bases (uracil and pyrimidine) and of proteins (glycine and glycine dipeptide analogue).Solvation, surface chemistry (dust fraction, adsorption, desorption), and inter- and intramolecular interactions, such as self-organization and self-interaction, are important molecular processes for understanding astrochemistry. Using the specific cases of uracil dimers and glycine adsorbed on silicon grains, we also illustrate approaches in which we treat different regions, interactions, or effects at different levels of sophistication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo Barone
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza
dei Cavalieri 7, I-56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Malgorzata Biczysko
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Chimica dei Composti OrganoMetallici (ICCOM-CNR), UOS di Pisa, Area della Ricerca CNR, Via G. Moruzzi 1, I-56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Cristina Puzzarini
- Dipartimento
di Chimica “Giacomo Ciamician”, Università di Bologna, Via F. Selmi 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy
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44
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Hicks RK, Day DA, Jimenez JL, Tolbert MA. Elemental Analysis of Complex Organic Aerosol Using Isotopic Labeling and Unit-Resolution Mass Spectrometry. Anal Chem 2015; 87:2741-7. [DOI: 10.1021/ac504014g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Raea K. Hicks
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Colorado, 215 UCB, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
- Cooperative
Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado, 216 UCB, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Douglas A. Day
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Colorado, 215 UCB, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
- Cooperative
Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado, 216 UCB, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Jose L. Jimenez
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Colorado, 215 UCB, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
- Cooperative
Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado, 216 UCB, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Margaret A. Tolbert
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Colorado, 215 UCB, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
- Cooperative
Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado, 216 UCB, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
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45
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Jeilani YA, Fearce C, Nguyen MT. Acetylene as an essential building block for prebiotic formation of pyrimidine bases on Titan. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2015; 17:24294-303. [DOI: 10.1039/c5cp03247d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Prebiotic building blocks for the formation of biomolecules are important in understanding the abiotic origin of biomolecules.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Chelesa Fearce
- Department Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Spelman College
- Atlanta
- USA
| | - Minh Tho Nguyen
- Department of Chemistry
- University of Leuven
- B-3001 Leuven
- Belgium
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46
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Griffith CA. Not just a storm in a teacup. Nature 2014; 514:40-1. [DOI: 10.1038/514040a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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47
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Puzzarini C, Biczysko M, Bloino J, Barone V. ACCURATE SPECTROSCOPIC CHARACTERIZATION OF OXIRANE: A VALUABLE ROUTE TO ITS IDENTIFICATION IN TITAN'S ATMOSPHERE AND THE ASSIGNMENT OF UNIDENTIFIED INFRARED BANDS. THE ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL 2014; 785:107. [PMID: 26543240 PMCID: PMC4630858 DOI: 10.1088/0004-637x/785/2/107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
In an effort to provide an accurate spectroscopic characterization of oxirane, state-of-the-art computational methods and approaches have been employed to determine highly accurate fundamental vibrational frequencies and rotational parameters. Available experimental data were used to assess the reliability of our computations, and an accuracy on average of 10 cm-1 for fundamental transitions as well as overtones and combination bands has been pointed out. Moving to rotational spectroscopy, relative discrepancies of 0.1%, 2%-3%, and 3%-4% were observed for rotational, quartic, and sextic centrifugal-distortion constants, respectively. We are therefore confident that the highly accurate spectroscopic data provided herein can be useful for identification of oxirane in Titan's atmosphere and the assignment of unidentified infrared bands. Since oxirane was already observed in the interstellar medium and some astronomical objects are characterized by very high D/H ratios, we also considered the accurate determination of the spectroscopic parameters for the mono-deuterated species, oxirane-d1. For the latter, an empirical scaling procedure allowed us to improve our computed data and to provide predictions for rotational transitions with a relative accuracy of about 0.02% (i.e., an uncertainty of about 40 MHz for a transition lying at 200 GHz).
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Puzzarini
- Dipartimento di Chimica "Giacomo Ciamician," Università di Bologna, Via Selmi 2, I-40126 Bologna, Italy;
| | - Malgorzata Biczysko
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, I-56126 Pisa, Italy ; Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Chimica dei Composti OrganoMetallici (ICCOM-CNR), UOS di Pisa, Area della Ricerca CNR, Via G. Moruzzi 1, I-56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Julien Bloino
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, I-56126 Pisa, Italy ; Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Chimica dei Composti OrganoMetallici (ICCOM-CNR), UOS di Pisa, Area della Ricerca CNR, Via G. Moruzzi 1, I-56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Barone
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, I-56126 Pisa, Italy
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Simulations of Prebiotic Chemistry under Post-Impact Conditions on Titan. Life (Basel) 2013; 3:538-49. [PMID: 25369885 PMCID: PMC4187131 DOI: 10.3390/life3040538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2013] [Revised: 12/06/2013] [Accepted: 12/09/2013] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The problem of how life began can be considered as a matter of basic chemistry. How did the molecules of life arise from non-biological chemistry? Stanley Miller’s famous experiment in 1953, in which he produced amino acids under simulated early Earth conditions, was a huge leap forward in our understanding of this problem. Our research first simulated early Earth conditions based on Miller’s experiment and we then repeated the experiment using Titan post-impact conditions. We simulated conditions that could have existed on Titan after an asteroid strike. Specifically, we simulated conditions after a potential strike in the subpolar regions of Titan that exhibit vast methane-ethane lakes. If the asteroid or comet was of sufficient size, it would also puncture the icy crust and bring up some of the subsurface liquid ammonia-water mixture. Since, O’Brian, Lorenz and Lunine showed that a liquid water-ammonia body could exist between about 102–104 years on Titan after an asteroid impact we modified our experimental conditions to include an ammonia-water mixture in the reaction medium. Here we report on the resulting amino acids found using the Titan post-impact conditions in a classical Miller experimental reaction set-up and how they differ from the simulated early Earth conditions.
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Seidel L, Hoyermann K, Mauß F, Nothdurft J, Zeuch T. Pressure dependent product formation in the photochemically initiated allyl + allyl reaction. Molecules 2013; 18:13608-22. [PMID: 24192913 PMCID: PMC6270213 DOI: 10.3390/molecules181113608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2013] [Revised: 10/17/2013] [Accepted: 10/22/2013] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Photochemically driven reactions involving unsaturated radicals produce a thick global layer of organic haze on Titan, Saturn's largest moon. The allyl radical self-reaction is an example for this type of chemistry and was examined at room temperature from an experimental and kinetic modelling perspective. The experiments were performed in a static reactor with a volume of 5 L under wall free conditions. The allyl radicals were produced from laser flash photolysis of three different precursors allyl bromide (C3H5Br), allyl chloride (C3H5Cl), and 1,5-hexadiene (CH2CH(CH2)2CHCH2) at 193 nm. Stable products were identified by their characteristic vibrational modes and quantified using FTIR spectroscopy. In addition to the (re-) combination pathway C3H5+C3H5 → C6H10 we found at low pressures around 1 mbar the highest final product yields for allene and propene for the precursor C3H5Br. A kinetic analysis indicates that the end product formation is influenced by specific reaction kinetics of photochemically activated allyl radicals. Above 10 mbar the (re-) combination pathway becomes dominant. These findings exemplify the specificities of reaction kinetics involving chemically activated species, which for certain conditions cannot be simply deduced from combustion kinetics or atmospheric chemistry on Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lars Seidel
- Lehrstuhl Thermodynamik/Thermische Verfahrenstechnik, BrandenburgischeTechnische-Universität, Siemens-Halske-Ring 8, Cottbus D-03046, Germany; E-Mails: (L.S.); (F.M.)
| | - Karlheinz Hoyermann
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Georg-August-Universität, Tammannstr. 6, Göttingen D-37077, Germany; E-Mails: (K.H.); (J.N.)
| | - Fabian Mauß
- Lehrstuhl Thermodynamik/Thermische Verfahrenstechnik, BrandenburgischeTechnische-Universität, Siemens-Halske-Ring 8, Cottbus D-03046, Germany; E-Mails: (L.S.); (F.M.)
| | - Jörg Nothdurft
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Georg-August-Universität, Tammannstr. 6, Göttingen D-37077, Germany; E-Mails: (K.H.); (J.N.)
| | - Thomas Zeuch
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Georg-August-Universität, Tammannstr. 6, Göttingen D-37077, Germany; E-Mails: (K.H.); (J.N.)
- Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: ; Tel.: +49-551-39-33126; Fax: +49-551-39-33117
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50
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Trainer MG. Atmospheric Prebiotic Chemistry and Organic Hazes. CURR ORG CHEM 2013; 17:1710-1723. [PMID: 24143126 PMCID: PMC3796891 DOI: 10.2174/13852728113179990078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2011] [Revised: 05/07/2013] [Accepted: 05/12/2013] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Earth's atmospheric composition at the time of the origin of life is not known, but it has often been suggested that chemical transformation of reactive species in the atmosphere was a significant source of prebiotic organic molecules. Experimental and theoretical studies over the past half century have shown that atmospheric synthesis can yield molecules such as amino acids and nucleobases, but these processes are very sensitive to gas composition and energy source. Abiotic synthesis of organic molecules is more productive in reduced atmospheres, yet the primitive Earth may not have been as reducing as earlier workers assumed, and recent research has reflected this shift in thinking. This work provides a survey of the range of chemical products that can be produced given a set of atmospheric conditions, with a particular focus on recent reports. Intertwined with the discussion of atmospheric synthesis is the consideration of an organic haze layer, which has been suggested as a possible ultraviolet shield on the anoxic early Earth. Since such a haze layer - if formed - would serve as a reservoir for organic molecules, the chemical composition of the aerosol should be closely examined. The results highlighted here show that a variety of products can be formed in mildly reducing or even neutral atmospheres, demonstrating that contributions of atmospheric synthesis to the organic inventory on early Earth should not be discounted. This review intends to bridge current knowledge of the range of possible atmospheric conditions in the prebiotic environment and pathways for synthesis under such conditions by examining the possible products of organic chemistry in the early atmosphere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa G. Trainer
- Planetary Environments Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 699, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
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