Sonochemistry on primordial Earth – Its potential role in prebiotic molecular evolution

A Stereospecific Synthesis of Pantothenic Acid Derivatives in Prebiotic Molecular Evolution on Earth

A set of chemical reactions is proposed to account for the formation of pantothenic acid derivatives from a primeval atmosphere composed of ammonia, formaldehyde, propyne, ethyne, hydrogen sulfide, hydrogen and water. Three precursor molecules are initially formed; a di-adduct of propyne and the catalyst Mg.porphin, azetidine2one, and 2-amino ethyl mercaptan. These then react sequentially to fo...

Prebiotic chemistry: chemical evolution of organics on the primitive Earth under simulated prebiotic conditions.

A series of prebiotic mixtures of simple molecules, sources of C, H, N, and O, were examined under conditions that may have prevailed during the Hadean eon (4.6-3.8 billion years), namely an oxygen-free atmosphere and a significant UV radiation flux over a large wavelength range due to the absence of an ozone layer. Mixtures contained a C source (methanol, acetone or other ketones), a N source ...

Prebiotic Chemistry on the Primitive Earth

Prebiotic Phosphorylation Reactions on the Early Earth

Phosphorus (P) is an essential element for life. It occurs in living beings in the form of phosphate, which is ubiquitous in biochemistry, chiefly in the form of C-O-P (carbon, oxygen and phosphorus), C-P, or P-O-P linkages to form life. Within prebiotic chemistry, several key questions concerning phosphorus chemistry have developed: what were the most likely sources of P on the early Earth? Ho...

Prebiotic Evolution of Molecular Assemblies: From Molecules to Ecology

Present life portrays a two-tier phenomenology: molecules compose supramolecular structures, such as cells or organisms, which in turn portray population behaviors, including selection, evolution and ecological dynamics. Prebiotic models have often focused on evolution in populations of self-replicating supramolecules, without explicitly invoking the intermediate molecular-to-supramolecular sta...