Silica Metal Oxide Vesicles Catalyze Comprehensive Prebiotic Chemistry

It has recently been demonstrated that mineral self‐assembled structures catalyzing prebiotic chemical reactions may form in natural waters derived from serpentinization, a geological process widespread in the early stages of Earth‐like planets. We have synthesized self‐assembled membranes by mixing...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Chemistry : a European journal 2018-06, Vol.24 (32), p.8126-8132
Main Authors: Mattia Bizzarri, Bruno, Botta, Lorenzo, Pérez‐Valverde, Maritza Iveth, Saladino, Raffaele, Di Mauro, Ernesto, García‐Ruiz, Juan Manuel
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Amino acids
biomolecules and condensing agents
Carboxylic acids
catalysis
Chemical reactions
Chemistry
Earth crust
formamide
Geochemistry
Iron
Magnesium
Manganese
Membranes
Metal oxides
Metals
Molecular chains
Natural waters
Organic chemistry
prebiotic chemistry
Prebiotics
Ribonucleic acid
RNA
Silica
silica microdrops
Silicon dioxide
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Summary:It has recently been demonstrated that mineral self‐assembled structures catalyzing prebiotic chemical reactions may form in natural waters derived from serpentinization, a geological process widespread in the early stages of Earth‐like planets. We have synthesized self‐assembled membranes by mixing microdrops of metal solutions with alkaline silicate solutions in the presence of formamide (NH2CHO), a single‐carbon molecule, at 80 °C. We found that these bilayer membranes, made of amorphous silica and metal oxide/hydroxide nanocrystals, catalyze the condensation of formamide, yielding the four nucleobases of RNA, three amino acids and, several carboxylic acids in a single‐pot experiment. Besides manganese, iron and magnesium, two abundant elements in the earliest Earth crust that are key in serpentinization reactions, are enough to produce all these biochemical compounds. These results suggest that the transition from inorganic geochemistry to prebiotic organic chemistry is common on a universal scale and, most probably, occurred earlier than ever thought for our planet. Origins of life: Bilayer membranes, made of amorphous silica and metal oxide/hydroxide nanocrystals, catalyze the condensation of formamide, yielding the four nucleobases of RNA, three amino acids and, several carboxylic acids in a single‐pot experiment, suggesting that the transition from inorganic geochemistry to prebiotic organic chemistry is common on a universal scale and, most probably, occurred earlier than ever thought for our planet.
ISSN:0947-6539
1521-3765
DOI:10.1002/chem.201706162