Contribution of temperature gradient to aggregation of thermal heterocopolymers of amino acids in aqueous milieu

Abstract

We prepared thermal heterocopolymers of amino acids, aspartic acid and proline, and solubilized them in distilled water at boiling temperature. The resulting suspension was then cooled down while controlling the cooling rate. The maximum growth of phase-separated microspheres was found to occur at a finite, nonzero cooling rate. Temperature-gradient controlled growth of these microspheres indicates that aggregation of thermal heterocopolymers of amino acids in their aqueous milieu is irreversible. In view of the fact that evolutionary process is an indication of lasting physical irreversibility, thermal heterocopolymers of amino acids were shown to have an evolutionary significance in maintaining the capacity of irreversibility lasting over at least several hours.