Micro-impact-induced mechano-chemical synthesis of organic precursors from FeC/FeN and carbonates/nitrates in water and its extension to nucleobases

• Published in: Green processing and synthesis 2023-06, Vol.12 (1), p.528-9
• Main Authors: Kugimiya, Koichi, Asai, Kenji, Harada, Takashi, Furukawa, Yoshihiro, Naito, Makio
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acetic acid; Amines; Amino acids; Ammonium; Bases (nucleic acids); Carbon dioxide; Carbonates; Carboxylic acids; Cementite; Chemical reactions; Chemical synthesis; Crusts; Earth; Fatty acids; Hydrogenation; Hypervelocity impact; hypocenter; Iron carbides; Iron nitride; mechano-chemical; micro-impact; Nitrates; Oceanic crust; precursor; Precursors; serpentinization
• ISSN: 2191-9550; 2191-9542; 2191-9550
• DOI: 10.1515/gps-2023-0020

Much effort was taken to elucidate how organic precursors appeared in early Earth, and attention was paid to two impact experiments: hypervelocity impacts by a propellant gun which simulated meteorite collides to Earth forming fatty acids and amino acids from inorganics, and micro-impacts by a planetary ball-mill which formed ammonium and acetic acid from inorganics. Our extended study on micro-impacts showed the formation of carboxylic acids, amines, and amino acids from Fe C/Fe N, carbon, and carbonates/nitrates by milling up to 30 h at 40 G. Fe(CO ·2H O accelerated the formation a step further. Cu addition caused superior capability to form amines and amino acids. Two reaction fields were disclosed. In the impact field, the hydration of ferrous materials generated hydrogen which hydrogenated inorganic carbons to organics and ferrous transient materials and, in the maturing field, hydrogenated materials were then transformed into complex organics. Iron and CO were presumably the key components in the Hadean Ocean. Discussions on the mechano-chemical reaction were extended to serpentinization coupled with diastrophism of oceanic crusts and further led to a depiction that organic precursors were formed by micro-impacts and frictions of rocks and sands (like milling-balls) due to tremors in crusts. It provides a new path on how organic precursors were formed on the aqua-planet Earth.