Hot hydrogen atoms reactions of interest in molecular evolution and interstellar chemistry

Which Amino Acids Should Be Used in Prebiotic Chemistry Studies?

“…Nuevo et al (2008) were not able to confirm the synthesis of α-histidine and α-lysine in ISM experiments. It also should be pointed out that using reducing atmospheres Becker et al (1974) and RuizBermejo et al (2007) were able to show the synthesis of α-isoleucine, which it was not synthesized in the experiments of Table 1 or found in meteorites (Tables 2, 3, 4). This is an important issue since these amino acids (α-lysine, α-histidine, α-asparagine, α-isoleucine) play important roles in our biochemistry.…”

“…Miller (1953) was the first who showed that the synthesis of amino acids was possible from a mixture of gases. Table 5 shows several protein amino acids as well as non-protein amino acids that were synthesized in environments simulating the atmosphere of prebiotic earth (Janda et al 2008;Ruiz-Bermejo et al 2007;Plankensteiner et al 2006;Civiš et al 2004;Miyakawa et al 2002;Kobayashi et al 2001;Kobayashi et al 1999b;Miyakawa et al 1999;Takahashi et al 1999;Kobayashi et al 1998;Hirose et al 1990Hirose et al -1991Kobayashi et al 1990;Schlesinger and Miller 1983;Shimoyama et al 1978;Becker et al 1974;Sagan and Khare 1971;Bar-Nun et al 1970;Miller 1953).…”

Insoluble organic matter in chondrites: Archetypal melanin-like PAH-based multifunctionality at the origin of life?

“…The abiotic synthesis of Phe and Tyr occurs in a large variety of space and geochemical scenarios, including meteorite-catalyzed thermal processes [76], spark discharge in gas mixtures [77], associated with self-crystallization and racemic resolution [78], high pressure hydrothermal transformations [79], and the geological process of serpentinization [80], also focusing on the catalytic role of biomorph structures [81]. The possible prebiotic synthesis mechanisms for Cys include irradiation [82] and hydrothermal processes [83]. The latter mechanism is generally thought to involve so-called Strecker-cyanohydrin synthesis, a sequential chemical condensation of hydrogen cyanide (HCN) and aldehydes [84].…”

MONTE CARLO CALCULATION OF THE TRANSLATIONAL RELAXATION OF SUPERTHERMAL H ATOMS IN THERMAL H2GAS

“…Many chemical reactions involving H atoms and important for interstellar chemical networks have a threshold that can be overcome by the availability of extra kinetic energy. Examples are the trapping of H atoms in solid hydrogen (Miyazaki et al 1983), the hydrogen abstraction from several molecules like H 2 O, H 2 S, hydrocarbons (Becker et al 1974) and their deuterated versions (Nicholas & Vaghjiani 1989;Malcolme-Lawes 1972), and the impact ionization of I group metals (Crooks et al 1978). It is therefore important to develop practical and reliable methods to characterize the chemical reactivity of H atoms after their production including the effects due to their moderation, thermalization, loss, and reactions with other species.…”