The effects of ferrous and other ions on the abiotic formation of biomolecules using aqueous aerosols and spark discharges

Orig Life Evol Biosph. 2007 Dec;37(6):507-21. doi: 10.1007/s11084-007-9107-0. Epub 2007 Sep 27.

Abstract

It has been postulated that the oceans on early Earth had a salinity of 1.5 to 2 times the modern value and a pH between 4 and 10. Moreover, the presence of the banded iron formations shows that Fe(+2) was present in significant concentrations in the primitive oceans. Assuming the hypotheses above, in this work we explore the effects of Fe(+2) and other ions in the generation of biomolecules in prebiotic simulation experiments using spark discharges and aqueous aerosols. These aerosols have been prepared using different sources of Fe(+2), such as FeS, FeCl(2) and FeCO(3), and other salts (alkaline and alkaline earth chlorides and sodium bicarbonate at pH = 5.8). In all these experiments, we observed the formation of some amino acids, carboxylic acids and heterocycles, involved in biological processes. An interesting consequence of the presence of soluble Fe(+2) was the formation of Prussian Blue, Fe(4)[Fe(CN)(6)](3), which has been suggested as a possible reservoir of HCN in the initial prebiotic conditions on the Earth.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aerosols / chemistry*
  • Evolution, Chemical
  • Ferrocyanides / chemistry
  • Ferrous Compounds / chemistry*
  • Seawater / chemistry

Substances

  • Aerosols
  • Ferrocyanides
  • Ferrous Compounds
  • hexacyanoferrate II