Self‐immolation Assisted Morphology Transformation of Prebiotic Lipidated‐cationic Amino Acids: Electro‐droplet Mediated C−C Coupling Reaction to Synthesize Macromolecules

Abstract

Compartmentalization protected biomolecules from the fluctuating environments of early Earth. Although contemporary cells mostly use phospholipid‐based bilayer membranes, the utility of non‐bilayer compartments was not ruled out during the prebiotic and modern eras. In the present study, we demonstrated the prebiotic synthesis of lipidated cationic amino acid‐based amphiphiles (lauryl ester of lysine, Lys; ornithine, Orn; and 2,4‐diamino butyric acid, Dab) using model dry‐down reaction. Orn, and Dab‐based amphiphiles (OrnL and DabL) self‐assemble into micellar membranes but undergo pH‐responsive self‐immolation assisted transformation to lipid droplet‐like morphologies, a probable alternative compartment model in the prebiotic Earth. These cationic droplets encapsulated prebiotic molecules (isoprene) and assisted electron transfer reaction to synthesize isoprenoid derivatives at primitive Earth conditions. The self‐assembly of prebiotic amphiphiles, their transformation to droplet compartments, and droplet‐assisted C‐C bond formation reaction might help the evolution to synthesize various biomolecules required for the origin of life.