One-pot hydrogen cyanide-based prebiotic synthesis of canonical nucleobases and glycine initiated by high-velocity impacts on early Earth

0561948 - FZÚ 2023 RIV US eng J - Journal Article
Ferus, M. - Rimmer, P. - Cassone, G. - Knížek, A. - Civiš, S. - Šponer, J.E. - Ivanek, O. - Šponer, J. - Saeidfirozeh, H. - Kubelík, Petr - Dudžák, Roman - Petera, L. - Juha, Libor - Pastorek, A. - Křivková, A. - 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 MŠMT LTT17015; GA ČR GA19-03314S
Institutional support: RVO:68378271
Keywords : extraterrestrial objects impacts * origin of life * hydrogen cyanide * primitive Earth atmosphere
OECD category: Astronomy (including astrophysics,space science)
Impact factor: 4.335, year: 2020
Method of publishing: Limited access
https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2020.2231

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 with de novo formation of hydrogen cyanide (HCN) and proceeds through intermediates such as cyanoacetylene and urea.
Permanent Link: https://hdl.handle.net/11104/0334375