One-Pot Hydrogen Cyanide-Based Prebiotic Synthesis of Canonical Nucleobases and Glycine Initiated by High-Velocity Impacts on Early Earth

0536887 - ÚFCH JH 2021 RIV US eng J - Journal Article
Ferus, Martin - Rimmer, P. - Cassone, G. - Knížek, Antonín - Civiš, Svatopluk - Šponer, Judit E. - Ivanek, Ondřej - Šponer, Jiří - Saeidfirozeh, Homa - Kubelík, Petr - Dudžák, R. - Petera, Lukáš - Juha, L. - Pastorek, Adam - Křivková, Anna - Krůs, M.
One-Pot Hydrogen Cyanide-Based Prebiotic Synthesis of Canonical Nucleobases and Glycine Initiated by High-Velocity Impacts on Early Earth.
Astrobiology. Roč. 20, č. 12 (2020), s. 1476-1488. ISSN 1531-1074. E-ISSN 1557-8070
R&D Projects: GA ČR GA19-03314S; GA MŠMT EF16_019/0000778
Institutional support: RVO:61388955 ; RVO:68081707
Keywords : high-power laser * induced dielectric-breakdown * high-energy chemistry * chemical evolution * organic-synthesis * adenine synthesis * amino-acids * miller-urey * formamide * purine * Extraterrestrial objects impacts * Origin of life * Hydrogen cyanide * Primitive Earth atmosphere
OECD category: Physical chemistry; Physical chemistry (BFU-R)
Impact factor: 4.335, year: 2020
Method of publishing: Limited access

Chemical environments of young planets are assumed to be significantly influenced by impacts of bodies lingering after the dissolution of the protoplanetary disk. We explore the chemical consequences of impacts of these bodies under reducing planetary atmospheres dominated by carbon monoxide, methane, and molecular nitrogen. Impacts were simulated by using a terawatt high-power laser system. Our experimental results show that one-pot impact-plasma-initiated synthesis of all the RNA canonical nucleobases and the simplest amino acid glycine is possible in this type of atmosphere in the presence of montmorillonite. This one-pot synthesis begins withde novoformation of hydrogen cyanide (HCN) and proceeds through intermediates such as cyanoacetylene and urea.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0314639