“Smart Decomposition” of Cyclic Alanine-Alanine Dipeptide by VUV Radiation: A Seed for the Synthesis of Biologically Relevant Species

A combined experimental and theoretical study shows how the interaction of VUV radiation with cyclo-(alanine-alanine), one 2,5-diketopiperazines (DKPs), produces reactive oxazolidinone intermediates. The simulations reveal that these intermediates other neutral charged fragments, released in molecular decomposition, leads either to reconstruction cyclic dipeptide or formation longer linear peptide chains. These results may explain DKPs could have, on hand, survived hostile chemical environments and, other, provided seed for amino acid polymerization. Shedding light mechanisms production such prebiotic building blocks is paramount importance understanding abiotic synthesis relevant biologically active compounds.