Pyrite and Organic Compounds Coexisting in Intrusive Mafic Xenoliths (Hyblean Plateau, Sicily): Implications for Subsurface Abiogenesis

Scribano, Vittorio; Simakov, S. K.; Finocchiaro, Claudio; Correale, Alessandra; Scirè, Salvatore

doi:10.1007/s11084-019-09581-w

Cited by 6 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 126 publications

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“…These observations align with those from natural systems where the intimate association of organic compounds and mineral surfaces is widely documented. Mineral–organic associations in hydrothermally altered rocks have long been a topic pursued in the study of ore deposits and recently in the search for evidence of abiotic organic synthesis in the Earth’s lithosphere. − Links between organic compounds and aqueous alteration of minerals in carbonaceous chondrites suggest a constructive interplay of organic and inorganic reactions on meteorite parent bodies. , Recent studies examine the possibilities that the complex insoluble organic matter of carbonaceous chondrites may be both a source and a product of reactions involving aqueous organic compounds in the fluids responsible for mineral alteration. − Interpretation of data collected by instruments on the Cassini spacecraft indicate considerable complexity in the suite of organic compounds detected in the plume of Enceladus . This has led to proposals that hydrothermal processes, inferred from inorganic data on the plumes and from particles of Saturn’s E-ring sourced from Enceladus, contribute to that organic complexity. − The emerging picture is that enhanced organic complexity may be a feature of hydrothermal reactions and processes, wherever they occur.…”

Section: Concluding Statementsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Kinetics and Mechanisms of Hydrothermal Ketonic Decarboxylation

Johnson-Finn

Gould

Williams

et al. 2020

ACS Earth Space Chem.

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The formation of ketone products from carboxylic acids in the presence of minerals has not been considered in the interpretations of aqueous geochemistry, even though the formation of ketones is a well-known industrial process that occurs on mineral surfaces. This study demonstrates the formation of ketone products through ketonic decarboxylation from phenylacetic and hydrocinnamic acid in the presence of the mineral surfaces of magnetite (Fe3O4), hematite (Fe2O3), corundum (Al2O3), and spinel (MgAl2O4) at hydrothermal conditions (300 °C, 1000 bar). These minerals were chosen to deconvolve the mechanism of ketonic decarboxylation and explore the difference in abundance and rate of product formation on different kinds of oxide minerals. The presence of minerals increased the number and variety of reaction paths available to phenylacetic acid, compared to reactions without minerals. Magnetite and spinel favored the ketonic decarboxylation reaction more strongly than hematite and corundum, resulting in greater product yields. In the case of spinel, the presence of mineral both increases the formation of dibenzylketone and the decomposition of the same ketone into toluene.

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Section: Concluding Statementsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Kinetics and Mechanisms of Hydrothermal Ketonic Decarboxylation

Johnson-Finn

Gould

Williams

et al. 2020

ACS Earth Space Chem.

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“…Li et al [1] reported when the amount of copper oxide loading on TiO 2 , led to the best yield of methanol and ethanol, and thought that the redistribution of photogenerated charge carriers in CuO/TiO 2 facilitates electron trapping and prohibits the recombination of electrons and holes, which significantly increases photo-efficiency. Scribano et al [11] support the significance of pyrite as a key mineral in abiogenesis, exemplified by the reaction CO 2 (aq) + FeS + H 2 S → HCOOH + FeS 2 + H 2 O…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 94%

Theoretical Research on the Reduction of CO2 with H2S on Pyrite FeS2 Surfaces

Liu,

Li,

Feng

et al. 2023

Minerals

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Understanding the reduction of CO2 and the origin and evolution of early life on Earth is an important research endeavor. Pyrite, due to its semiconductor properties, is believed to play a pivotal role as a reactant or catalyst in converting reducing gases, such as CO2, into organic matter. In this study, we employed density functional theory (DFT) to investigate the reduction of CO2 in the presence of H2S on the surface of pyrite. Our findings reveal that the presence of sulfur vacancies enhances the adsorption of H2S and CO2 molecules onto the pyrite surface. Interestingly, we observed the generation of the HCOOH molecule on the defective pyrite surface. Additionally, the transition state analysis indicates that H2S and CO2 molecules require the overcoming of an energy barrier (Ea) of 36.93 kJ/mol to form the HCOOH molecule. This study sheds light on the role of pyrite in the early creation of life on Earth by elucidating its impact on the reduction of carbon dioxide.

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“…Its eastwards thinning, until its definitive disappearance, could explain the absence of traps and, therefore, the mineralization in the Siracusa area [71,93]. According to [94,95], hydrocarbon formation could have been favored by circulating hydrothermal fluids in the Hyblean serpentinized peridotite basement.…”

Section: Carbonate Reservoirs In the Hyblean Plateaumentioning

confidence: 99%

The Porosity in Heterogeneous Carbonate Reservoir Rocks: Tectonic versus Diagenetic Imprint—A Multi-Scale Study from the Hyblean Plateau (SE Sicily, Italy)

et al. 2022

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The petroleum industry has always been pursuing highly exploitable gas fields, which are often hosted in carbonate rocks. However, carbonates are highly heterogeneous and show different fabrics and structures as the result of sedimentation in various environments, and subsequent diagenesis and deformation. In this study, a multi-scale and multidisciplinary approach has been performed on classical reservoir rocks from the subsurface of the Hyblean Plateau (Sicily, Italy). We aim at unravelling the important and debated role of tectonic and diagenetic structures (mainly fractures as well as stylolites) in enhancing or reducing the porosity. Black shales, limestones, and laminites of intertidal environment represent the main lithologies. Structure cross-cutting relationships record different stages of the basin geological history, which are related to the tectonic evolution of the area. Our results show that porosity is uncommonly lightly affected by fractures and faults, because of their mineralization, whereas stylolites, which are often considered as barriers to fluid flow, show a certain porosity. Therefore, we want to highlight the importance of a multi-scale and multidisciplinary approach in the analysis of heterogeneously porous, fractured- and stylolite-rich carbonate rocks, and our study aspires to boost other similar gas reservoir studies in energy transition times.

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Pyrite and Organic Compounds Coexisting in Intrusive Mafic Xenoliths (Hyblean Plateau, Sicily): Implications for Subsurface Abiogenesis

Cited by 6 publications

References 126 publications

Kinetics and Mechanisms of Hydrothermal Ketonic Decarboxylation

Kinetics and Mechanisms of Hydrothermal Ketonic Decarboxylation

Theoretical Research on the Reduction of CO2 with H2S on Pyrite FeS2 Surfaces

The Porosity in Heterogeneous Carbonate Reservoir Rocks: Tectonic versus Diagenetic Imprint—A Multi-Scale Study from the Hyblean Plateau (SE Sicily, Italy)

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