High Pressure Behavior of Organic Materials and the Early Earth

Details High Pressure Behavior of Organic Materials and the Early Earth High Pressure Behavior of Organic Materials and the Early Earth

Dec 2006

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2006agufm.v11d0618m&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2006, abstract #V11D-0618

Mathematics

Logic

3934 Optical, Infrared, And Raman Spectroscopy, 6240 Meteorites And Tektites (1028, 3662)

Scientific paper

Organic molecules observed in proto-planetary discs, such as cyanuric acid (H3C3N3O3), transform through currently unknown processes to the complex prebiotic compounds believed to have led to life on Earth. These processes could occur within the upper layers of the early Earth during the Hadean and Archaean. Laboratory experiments show that pressures of 1-10 GPa and temperatures of 300-600 K facilitate the formation of complex molecules from simple organic precursors. In particular, formic acid, another organic material associated with proto-planetary discs, undergoes irreversible reactions at pressures and temperatures above 2.5 GPa and 430 K with the products characterized by Raman peaks at 1349, 1520 and 1592 cm^{- 1}, close to peaks measured from interplanetary dust particle material. Cyanuric acid is of special interest because it has a structure similar to the carbon-nitrogen rings and helices incorporated in nucleosides and other key biological components. It appears to form N-H\dotsO and C--O\dotsH intramolecular bonds at pressures above 5.0 GPa, and forms complex macromolecular material at temperatures over 400K. If by emerging below the surface of a planet it can be protected from impact (including the late heavy bombardment) and other external threats, life may ultimately be initiated by conformational changes induced in pre-biotic molecules by pressure.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

High Pressure Behavior of Organic Materials and the Early Earth does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with High Pressure Behavior of Organic Materials and the Early Earth, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and High Pressure Behavior of Organic Materials and the Early Earth will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-963047