The Transformation by Catalysis of Prebiotic Chemical Systems to Useful Biochemicals: A Perspective Based on IR Spectroscopy of the Primary Chemicals: I. The Synthesis of Peptides by the Condensation of Amino Acids

Abstract

It is now widely speculated that life originated at the “Black Smokers” of the undersea hydrothermal vents, where conditions exist for the formation of the primary ingredients and their subsequent transformation to higher biotic species such as amino acids, alcohols, etc. Any possible routes for the prebiotic oligomerization of simple compounds like amino acids, necessary for cell formation, has so far not been well understood. However, Leman et al. recently reported that under standard laboratory conditions carbonyl sulfide (COS) can “mediate” the oligomerization of simple amino acids in moderate yield. COS being a well-known volcanic gas points to its possible role in prebiotic peptide formation in the environment of the hydrothermal vents. Based on a previously developed and tested model for selective (vibrational) energy transfer (SET), we show that a COS-catalyzed condensation of α-amino-acids can lead to the formation of polypeptides. We also indicate that other agents can act as catalysts of the amino acid condensation, such as Fe(CN)63− and cyanamide (H2N-CN). This is related to the existence of vibrations with a frequency near to that of the critical vibration of the reactant, ρw (NH2). This wagging vibration occurs at 1048 ± 10 cm−1 (the mean value of Cu and Ni complexes) and, as the vibration of the presumed catalyst lies at 2079 cm−1, one notes that one quantum of the catalyst equals two quanta of the NH2 wagging: 2079/2 × 1048 = 0.9919. This is a good indication of a resonance.

A SET route to Ethyl Carboxylic Acid from Ethanol and Carbon Monoxide

“…The catalyst, used in previous investigations [2,3] and now used also in this case, can in spite of its simplicity direct reactions to happpen that are of direct importance for the origin of life.…”

“…As carbon monoxide is not usually seen as a reactant for organic chemical synthesis, one must obviously change the properties of CO somewhat in order to get it reactive. This change might be performed by interaction with the catalyst, COS [2].…”

“…of amino acids to form proteins (2) and the formation of many constituents of RNA [3]. As is otherwhere described in detail [4,5], the action of the catalyst is supposed to take place via vibrational resonance between reactant and catalyst.…”

“…We willl suggest that this catalyst was carbonyl sulfi de, COS, appearing in the atmosphere from volcanic eruptions. It has been shown to be a possible catalyst in many life-creating reactions [2,3], such as 'condensation'…”

A proposal on a catalyst for the reaction methane + water => methanol + hydrogen

“…The above-mentioned reactions are basically turned out as an oxidation, primarily of the catalyst system using molecular oxygen [2]. However, from the perspective of previous work on the origin of life [4][5][6], it is interesting to ask: what catalysts might have been operating in prebiotic times when the atmosphere was of a purely reductive kind. We will here exemplify this search on the reaction:…”