Clay and the origin of life

Ponnamperuma, Cyril; Shimoyama, Akira; Friebele, Elaine

doi:10.1007/bf00926908

Cited by 150 publications

(73 citation statements)

References 95 publications

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“…This phase transition is reversible and attributed to the insertion/deinsertion of additional water layers driven by variations of pressure. The phenomenon of pressure induced water insertion in synthetic smectites material reported here is qualitatively similar to what has been discovered by us earlier with graphite oxide 5,11 . Since the structures and compositions of smectites and graphite oxide are very different, it appears that pressure-induced insertion of additional solvent from liquid media is a quite general phenomenon for hydrophilic layered materials.…”

supporting

confidence: 90%

“…It can also be expected that materials which exhibit the ability to structural breathing related to hydration/dehydration under variation of external conditions, could be highly suitable as environment for the accumulation of organic matter and thus could be an interesting facet in clay-related theories for the origin of life. [5][6] Graphite oxide and clay minerals demonstrate a lot of similarities in respect to their swelling in water since both are hydrophilic layered materials. Clay materials consist of negatively charged layers and charge neutrality is warranted by interlayer cations.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Pressure‐Induced Water Insertion in Synthetic Clays

et al. 2013

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confidence: 90%

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confidence: 99%

Pressure‐Induced Water Insertion in Synthetic Clays

et al. 2013

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“…However, mineral surfaces, such as clays, can potentially provide templates, surfaces for sorption, and even catalysis of chemical reactions (Goldschmidt 1952;Rao et al 1980;Cairns-Smith 1982;Ponnamperuma et al 1982;Ferris et al 1988;Cairns-Smith et al 1992;Lahav 1994).…”

Section: Craters and The Origin Of Lifementioning

confidence: 99%

The origin and emergence of life under impact bombardment

Cockell

2006

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

100

104

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Craters formed by asteroids and comets offer a number of possibilities as sites for prebiotic chemistry, and they invite a literal application of Darwin's 'warm little pond'. Some of these attributes, such as prolonged circulation of heated water, are found in deep-ocean hydrothermal vent systems, previously proposed as sites for prebiotic chemistry. However, impact craters host important characteristics in a single location, which include the formation of diverse metal sulphides, clays and zeolites as secondary hydrothermal minerals (which can act as templates or catalysts for prebiotic syntheses), fracturing of rock during impact (creating a large surface area for reactions), the delivery of iron in the case of the impact of iron-containing meteorites (which might itself act as a substrate for prebiotic reactions), diverse impact energies resulting in different rates of hydrothermal cooling and thus organic syntheses, and the indiscriminate nature of impacts into every available lithologygenerating large numbers of 'experiments' in the origin of life. Following the evolution of life, craters provide cryptoendolithic and chasmoendolithic habitats, particularly in non-sedimentary lithologies, where limited pore space would otherwise restrict colonization. In impact melt sheets, shattered, mixed rocks ultimately provided diverse geochemical gradients, which in present-day craters support the growth of microbial communities.

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“…93 The problem is complex not only because of the different mechanisms of adsorption and polymerization of different amino acids, but also because different enantioselectivity could be observed even on different crystal faces of the same mineral. 94 At any rate, enantioselective adsorption and polymerization of amino acids on mineral surfaces cannot be denied, and it was even explained by "occasional chirality" of clay crystal lattice 70 or by stacking of the optically active ions in the interlayer space, 95,96 but the connection with biological homochirality remains obscure.…”

Section: +mentioning

confidence: 99%

Catalysis in the Primordial World

Raos

Bermanec²

2017

Kem. Ind.

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Catalysis provides orderly prebiotic synthesis and eventually its evolution into autocatalytic (self-reproduction) systems. Research on homogeneous catalysis is concerned mostly with random peptide synthesis and the chances to produce catalytic peptide oligomers. Synthesis of ribose via formose reaction was found to be catalysed by B(OH) 4 − , presumably released by weathering of borate minerals. Oxide and clay mineral surfaces provide catalytic sites for the synthesis of oligopeptides and oligonucleotides. Chemoautotrophic or iron-sulphur-world theory assumes that the first (pioneer) organisms developed by catalytic processes on (Fe/Ni)S particles formed near/close hydrothermal vents. The review provides an overlay of possible catalytic reactions in prebiotic environment, discussing their selectivity (regioselectivity, stereoselectivity) as well as geological availability of catalytic minerals and geochemical conditions enabling catalytic reactions on early Earth.

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Clay and the origin of life

Abstract: Research concerning the possible role of clay in chemical evolution is reviewed. The probable importance of clays in the origin of life is assessed.

Cited by 150 publications

References 95 publications

Pressure‐Induced Water Insertion in Synthetic Clays

Pressure‐Induced Water Insertion in Synthetic Clays

The origin and emergence of life under impact bombardment

Catalysis in the Primordial World

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