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  1. Home
  3. Ionic Liquid Biospheres.
  1. Home
  3. Ionic Liquid Biospheres.

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Ionic Liquid Biospheres.

Sara Seager1,2,3,4, William Bains5, Iaroslav Iakubivskyi1

  • 1Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.

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View abstract on PubMed

Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Ionic liquids (ILs) and deep eutectic solvents (DES) could support life beyond Earth. These non-aqueous liquids persist in extreme environments, potentially acting as solvents for alien life and enabling prebiotic chemistry on other planets.

Keywords:
asteroidscometsdeep eutectic solventsexoplanetsionic liquidsnatural deep eutectic solventsplanetary habitabilityplanets

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Area of Science:

  • Astrobiology and Planetary Science
  • Chemistry
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Life as we know it requires liquid, but water may not be the only possibility.
  • Ionic liquids (ILs) and deep eutectic solvents (DES) possess unique physical properties making them candidates for non-aqueous planetary liquids.
  • These properties include extremely low vapor pressures and wide liquid temperature ranges, allowing persistence in environments hostile to water.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To propose and explore the hypothesis that ILs and DES can serve as planetary solvents for non-Earth-like life.
  • To investigate the potential of ILs and DES to facilitate prebiotic chemistry on celestial bodies lacking liquid water.
  • To examine the possibility that life elsewhere might evolve to utilize ILs and DES as intracellular solvents.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing studies on protein and biomolecule stability and functionality in ILs and DES.
  • Analysis of planetary environments where ILs and DES could plausibly occur, considering available ionic components.
  • Outline of strategies for advancing the IL/DES solvent hypothesis, including laboratory experiments, computational chemistry, and planetary mission data.

Main Results:

  • ILs and DES can exist as stable liquids in a wide range of planetary conditions where water cannot.
  • Biomolecules show demonstrated stability and functionality in ILs, supporting their potential as solvents for alien life.
  • ILs and DES could provide long-lived, protective environments for complex organic molecules, crucial for prebiotic chemistry.

Conclusions:

  • ILs and DES represent a viable class of non-aqueous solvents with significant implications for astrobiology.
  • Their unique properties suggest they could host or enable life on a broader range of celestial bodies than previously considered.
  • Further research combining laboratory, computational, and observational approaches is needed to validate the IL/DES solvent hypothesis.