Meteorites as Catalysts for Prebiotic Chemistry

Saladino, Raffaele; Botta, Giuseppe; Delfino, Michela; Mauro, Ernesto Di

doi:10.1002/chem.201303690

Cited by 77 publications

(91 citation statements)

References 42 publications

(90 reference statements)

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“…Saladino et al extensively studied the formamide-based chemistry that can lead to the synthesis of nucleobases and nucleotides and their metabolic products (22)(23)(24). By choosing the appropriate catalyst, purine, adenine, guanine, and cytosine (catalyzed by limestone, kaolin, silica, alumina, or zeolite), thymine (irradiated by sunlight and catalyzed by TiO 2 ), and hypoxanthine and uracil (in the presence of montmorillonites) were obtained (23)(24)(25)(26)(27).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

High-energy chemistry of formamide: A unified mechanism of nucleobase formation

Ferus

Nesvorný

Šponer

et al. 2014

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

155

151

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The coincidence of the Late Heavy Bombardment (LHB) period and the emergence of terrestrial life about 4 billion years ago suggest that extraterrestrial impacts could contribute to the synthesis of the building blocks of the first life-giving molecules. We simulated the high-energy synthesis of nucleobases from formamide during the impact of an extraterrestrial body. A high-power laser has been used to induce the dielectric breakdown of the plasma produced by the impact. The results demonstrate that the initial dissociation of the formamide molecule could produce a large amount of highly reactive CN and NH radicals, which could further react with formamide to produce adenine, guanine, cytosine, and uracil. Based on GC-MS, high-resolution FTIR spectroscopic results, as well as theoretical calculations, we present a comprehensive mechanistic model, which accounts for all steps taking place in the studied impact chemistry. Our findings thus demonstrate that extraterrestrial impacts, which were one order of magnitude more abundant during the LHB period than before and after, could not only destroy the existing ancient life forms, but could also contribute to the creation of biogenic molecules.

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mentioning

confidence: 99%

High-energy chemistry of formamide: A unified mechanism of nucleobase formation

Ferus

Nesvorný

Šponer

et al. 2014

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

155

151

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“…Note that formamide (HCONH 2 ) might act as a key intermediate in the synthesis of amino acids (Dederichs et al 1975;Apene & Mikstais 1978;Kostakis et al 2007). Further condensation reactions, possibly with the help of mineral catalysts such as olivine can then lead to the formation of even more complex molecules like polypeptides (Costanzo et al 2007;Saladino et al 2007Saladino et al , 2013Lambert 2008;Lambert et al 2009). For clarification, we note that the -CO-NH-bond, often called a "peptide bond," is strictly an amide bond unless the carbon and nitrogen are bonded to other carbons of amino acids.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

On the Formation of Amide Polymers via Carbonyl–amino Group Linkages in Energetically Processed Ices of Astrophysical Relevance

Förstel

Maksyutenko

Jones

et al. 2016

ApJ

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We report on the formation of organic amide polymers via carbonyl-amino group linkages in carbon monoxide and ammonia bearing energetically processed ices of astrophysical relevance. The first group comprises molecules with one carboxyl group and an increasing number of amine moieties starting with formamide (45 u), urea (60 u), and hydrazine carboxamide (75 u). The second group consists of species with two carboxyl (58 u) and up to three amine groups (73 u, 88 u, and 103 u). The formation and polymerization of these linkages from simple inorganic molecules via formamide und urea toward amide polymers is discussed in an astrophysical and astrobiological context. Our results show that long chain molecules, which are closely related to polypeptides, easily form by energetically processing simple, inorganic ices at very low temperatures and can be released into the gas phase by sublimation of the ices in star-forming regions. Our experimental results were obtained by employing reflectron time-of-flight mass spectroscopy, coupled with soft, single photon vacuum ultraviolet photoionization; they are complemented by theoretical calculations.

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“…In summary, we obtained three canonical α-amino acids: glycine, alanine, and proline. Glycine and alanine have been previously obtained by thermal condensation of FA in the presence of powder of meteorites (57). Glycine was also recently synthesized from FA in experimental conditions mimicking the impact of meteorites on the surface of our planet (3).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Evidence of the catalytic properties of meteorites in prebiotic chemistry was recently provided by thermal processes of condensed-phase FA at relatively high temperatures (333 and 413 K) (57,58) or at the most extreme temperature conditions modeling impact events in Earth's atmosphere or surface (3,59). During their wandering, meteorites are exposed, under an extreme variety of temperature conditions, to ionizing radiation of cosmic origin (60) able to excite and dissociate FA (the ionization energy of the FA being ∼11-15 eV).…”

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confidence: 99%

Meteorite-catalyzed syntheses of nucleosides and of other prebiotic compounds from formamide under proton irradiation

Saladino

Carota

Botta

et al. 2015

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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161

157

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Liquid formamide has been irradiated by high-energy proton beams in the presence of powdered meteorites, and the products of the catalyzed resulting syntheses were analyzed by mass spectrometry. Relative to the controls (no radiation, or no formamide, or no catalyst), an extremely rich, variegate, and prebiotically relevant panel of compounds was observed. The meteorites tested were representative of the four major classes: iron, stony iron, chondrites, and achondrites. The products obtained were amino acids, carboxylic acids, nucleobases, sugars, and, most notably, four nucleosides: cytidine, uridine, adenosine, and thymidine. In accordance with theoretical studies, the detection of HCN oligomers suggests the occurrence of mechanisms based on the generation of radical cyanide species (CN·) for the synthesis of nucleobases. Given that many of the compounds obtained are key components of extant organisms, these observations contribute to outline plausible exogenous high-energy-based prebiotic scenarios and their possible boundary conditions, as discussed.origin of life | formamide | prebiotic syntheses | nucleosides | meteorites H ypothesizing formamide (FA) as parent molecule, we explored its potentiality in synthetic processes when exposed to proton irradiation. The purpose of this analysis is to verify a possible prebiotic scenario consisting of FA, considered here as starting one-carbon atom material, of proton beams mimicking solar energetic particles as energy source, and of meteorites as catalysts. The rationale of this approach is that the results could help in outlining exogenous prebiotic models and their boundaries.FA (NH 2 CHO) is becoming one of the most intensively studied precursors for prebiotic syntheses of compounds potentially relevant for the origin of life (1-4). FA is a ubiquitous molecule in the universe. It has been detected in galactic centers (Sgr A and Sgr B), in star-forming regions of dense molecular clouds, in high-mass young stellar objects, in the interstellar medium and in comets and satellites (5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14).With the appropriate mineral as catalyst, different ensembles of intermediates of genetic and metabolic apparatuses are simultaneously synthesized from FA under thermal conditions (i.e., by heating liquid FA between 333 and 453 K at room pressure). DNA and RNA components (15-21), amino acids (22, 23), sugars (24), and carboxylic acids (25, 26) have been obtained. Minerals tune the selectivity of these transformations (1, 2), the mechanistic pathways for the synthesis of nucleobases requiring pyrimidine (27-30) or imidazole intermediates (31,32).Within the solar system, ionizing cosmic radiation is generated by the Sun [solar cosmic rays (SCRs), primarily protons accelerated by flares and coronal mass ejections to energies typically of tens to hundreds megaelectronvolts] and is also formed by particles coming from the deep universe [galactic cosmic rays (GCRs)] (33). The SCRs and GCRs differ in their components and energy spectra, but their overwhelming co...

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Meteorites as Catalysts for Prebiotic Chemistry

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Cited by 77 publications

References 42 publications

High-energy chemistry of formamide: A unified mechanism of nucleobase formation

High-energy chemistry of formamide: A unified mechanism of nucleobase formation

On the Formation of Amide Polymers via Carbonyl–amino Group Linkages in Energetically Processed Ices of Astrophysical Relevance

Meteorite-catalyzed syntheses of nucleosides and of other prebiotic compounds from formamide under proton irradiation

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