Quantitative polyphosphate-induced "prebiotic" peptide formation in H2O by addition of certain azoles and ions

Aqueous solutions of 0.1 M amino acid and 0.1 M trimetaphosphate maintained at chosen pH values between 8.0 and 10.5 and at room temperature in the presence of imidazole or 1,2,4-triazole give rise after a few days to the corresponding peptides. Yields are highest when the pH is adjusted with concentrated NaOH or KOH instead of ammonia; in some cases glycine is quantitatively transformed within 10-15 days into peptides, mainly di-and tripeptides.