在早期地球上模仿闪电诱导的电化学
Haihui Joy Jiang1,2, Thomas C Underwood1,3, Jeffrey G Bell1
1Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138.
概括
早期地球上的闪电电化学有效地将大气气体转化为必需的有机分子. 这一过程发生在空气,水和地面的界面上,为生命起源提供了重要的化学原料.
科学领域:
- 天体生物学 天体生物学
- 地质化学 地质化学
- 等离子体化学
背景情况:
- 地球上的生命起源假设涉及有机分子的非生物合成.
- 早期地球的大气和地质条件可能促进了生物化学所需的化学反应.
研究的目的:
- 研究闪电诱导电化学在早期地球条件下产生活性碳和含化合物的潜力.
- 评估接口在提高前生物合成的化学产量的作用.
主要方法:
- 一个等离子电化学装置被设计成模拟闪电电化学.
- 在稳定状态条件下,在空气-水-地下接口进行了空气间隙电化学反应.
- 与涉及气相和接口的反应进行了比较,以获得产量效率.
主要成果:
- 显著减少二氧化碳到一氧化碳和酸 (每摩尔电子高达40个摩尔).
- 有效地将大气中的固定成酸盐,酸盐和离子 (每摩尔电子高达3摩尔).
- 由于矿物参与,涉及接口的反应显示出高于仅气相反应的产量.
结论:
- 无生物的地球条件,特别是界面上的闪电电化学,可以产生大量的活性有机分子.
- 这些反应提供了各种化学原料,对于早期生命的出现和生存至关重要.
- 闪电电化学代表了一种可信的机制,用于用必要的先生物化合物播种早期地球.
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