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Laboratory-determined Phosphorus Flux from Lake Sediments as a Measure of Internal Phosphorus Loading
Published on: March 6, 2014
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An interstellar synthesis of phosphorus oxoacids
Andrew M Turner1,2, Alexandre Bergantini1,2, Matthew J Abplanalp1,2
1Department of Chemistry, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA.
Nature Communications
|September 23, 2018
Summary
Interstellar phosphine (PH3) can form prebiotic phosphorus oxoacids in icy conditions. This discovery offers a new pathway for the origin of essential phosphorus compounds in the early universe.
Area of Science:
- Astrobiology
- Prebiotic Chemistry
- Planetary Science
Background:
- Phosphorus is vital for life, but its low solubility on early Earth posed a challenge for biomolecule formation.
- Meteoritic phosphides have been considered as an alternative phosphorus source for prebiotic chemistry.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate interstellar phosphine (PH3) as a potential source of prebiotic phosphorus.
- To explore the synthesis of phosphorus oxoacids under interstellar analog conditions.
Main Methods:
- Simulated interstellar analog ices containing phosphine (PH3).
- Exposure of these ices to ionizing radiation at temperatures as low as 5 K.
- Analysis of the resulting phosphorus oxoacids.
Main Results:
- Successful synthesis of key phosphorus oxoacids: phosphoric acid (H3PO4), phosphonic acid (H3PO3), and pyrophosphoric acid (H4P2O7).
- Formation occurred in interstellar analog ices under simulated prebiotic conditions (low temperature, ionizing radiation).
Conclusions:
- Interstellar phosphine is a viable and previously overlooked source of prebiotic phosphorus.
- The facile synthesis of water-soluble phosphorus oxoacids in space provides a plausible mechanism for their delivery to early Earth and other planets.
- This finding has significant implications for understanding the origin of life on Earth and potentially elsewhere in the universe.
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