Synthesis of prebiotic organics from CO2 by catalysis with meteoritic and volcanic particles

Peters, Sophia; Semenov, Dmitry A.; Hochleitner, Rupert; Trapp, Oliver (2023): Synthesis of prebiotic organics from CO2 by catalysis with meteoritic and volcanic particles. Scientific Reports, 13 (1). ISSN 2045-2322

Abstract

The emergence of prebiotic organics was a mandatory step toward the origin of life. The significance of the exogenous delivery versus the in-situ synthesis from atmospheric gases is still under debate. We experimentally demonstrate that iron-rich meteoritic and volcanic particles activate and catalyse the fixation of CO2, yielding the key precursors of life-building blocks. This catalysis is robust and produces selectively aldehydes, alcohols, and hydrocarbons, independent of the redox state of the environment. It is facilitated by common minerals and tolerates a broad range of the early planetary conditions (150–300 °C, ≲ 10–50 bar, wet or dry climate). We find that up to 6 × 108 kg/year of prebiotic organics could have been synthesized by this planetary-scale process from the atmospheric CO2 on Hadean Earth.

• Dokumententyp: Artikel (LMU)
• Organisationseinheit (Fakultäten): 18 Chemie und Pharmazie > Department Chemie
• DFG-Fachsystematik der Wissenschaftsbereiche: Naturwissenschaften
• DFG: Gefördert durch die Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - 364653263
• DFG: Gefördert durch die Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - 491502892