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(A) Crystal structure of H-ZSM-5 zeolite in which the linkages of tetrahedra define large cages (pores) with 0.55 nm diameter connected by tunnels. It can incorporate molecules no larger than these cages. (B) Crystal structure of MCM-41 mesoporous SiO 2 with periodically spaced unidimensional parallel channels typically 2 to 10 nm in diameter. (C) Schematic of SBA-15 mesoporous silica with hexagonally arranged large pores 5 to 15 nm in diameter, surrounded by largely amorphous silica walls. (D) Schematic of cubic mesoporous KIT-6 silica (pore size larger than 5 nm) with gyroid minimal surface and Ia3d symmetry composed of two interpenetrating chiral channels which result in an interpenetrating network of cylindrical mesopores.
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Although catalysis by mineral surfaces has been considered to be important in prebiotic chemistry, the role of porous silica phases, with reactions taking place within specific confined environments, has not been explored. This paper proposes that structure direction through interaction of dissolved silica with organic species in aqueo...
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... synthesis, taking advantage of the interaction of silica with organic SDA, has produced hundreds of new porous highsilica zeolitic materials, both emulating natural zeolites and having totally new structures (11). They contain (Fig. 1A) frameworks of linked silicate tetrahedra, but now these define much larger cages and tunnels which can absorb and perform catalytic chemistry on organic molecules converting them into value-added chemicals. Though much commercial zeolite synthesis uses high temperature and high pH to speed reaction and increase yield, a number of ...
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... postsynthesis modification confirms the chemical flexibility of porous silicate materials and, if true for silica, can provide further pathways for silica-organic interactions under prebiotic conditions. Mesoporous silica phases ( Fig. 1 B-D) form a family of materials synthesized using common organic surfactants as SDA (9). These surfactants, rather than being uniformly dissolved in the aqueous solution, form micelles above a critical surfactant concentration. ...
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... synthesis, taking advantage of the interaction of silica with organic SDA, has produced hundreds of new porous highsilica zeolitic materials, both emulating natural zeolites and having totally new structures (11). They contain (Fig. 1A) frameworks of linked silicate tetrahedra, but now these define much larger cages and tunnels which can absorb and perform catalytic chemistry on organic molecules converting them into value-added chemicals. Though much commercial zeolite synthesis uses high temperature and high pH to speed reaction and increase yield, a number of ...
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... postsynthesis modification confirms the chemical flexibility of porous silicate materials and, if true for silica, can provide further pathways for silica-organic interactions under prebiotic conditions. Mesoporous silica phases ( Fig. 1 B-D) form a family of materials synthesized using common organic surfactants as SDA (9). These surfactants, rather than being uniformly dissolved in the aqueous solution, form micelles above a critical surfactant concentration. ...
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Dynamic interplay between peptide synthesis and membrane assembly would have been crucial for the emergence of protocells on the prebiotic Earth. However, the effect of membrane-forming amphiphiles on peptide synthesis, under prebiotically plausible conditions, remains relatively unexplored. Here we discern the effect of a phospholipid on peptide s...
Citations
... These results provide examples of possible synthesis of prebiotic molecules in high-temperature environments. It is worth mentioning the study of the role of porous silica environments in prebiotic organic transformations, especially from amino acids to peptides to proteins, on the early Earth (Navrotsky et al., 2021) and studies of the formation of organic compounds in meteorites (acting as catalysts) at high temperatures (Anders et al., 1973;Rotelli et al., 2016). There are also chemical applications of the catalytic properties of silicate materials at high temperatures (e.g., (Fazlinia and Sheikh, 2018;Ramanathan and Subramaniam, 2018;Bawaked and Narasimharao, 2020)). ...
The study of exoplanetary atmospheres extends the frontiers of astronomy, astrophysics, and astrochemistry. Moreover, studies of exoplanets as being linked to the search for extraterrestrial life and other habitable planets are of interest not only for scientists, but for a much wider public audience. There is much evidence that clouds exist and are common in the exoplanetary atmospheres at high temperatures. Their origin can be gas-phase condensation of silicate materials and other refractory materials. Clouds have a major impact on the planets’ observable properties. Models describing atmospheres of exoplanets and brown dwarfs point to the necessity of including nanometer-to micrometer-sized grains of silicates. Observational mid-IR spectra have also provided tentative evidence of silicate grain absorption. Thus, silicates seem to be the first target for future astronomical observations of cloudy atmospheres and for laboratory studies supporting these observations. However, high-temperature laboratory studies of optical and structural properties of refractory materials, including silicates, and of gas-grain and grain surface chemistry needed for the decoding of astronomical spectra and for the development of reliable atmospheric models present practically uncharted territory. The aim of our paper is to review previous studies of optical and chemical properties of silicate materials and to emphasize the importance and perspective of high-temperature measurements of laboratory analogues of atmospheric silicate grains for exoplanet atmosphere characterization. This is particularly important in the light of new advanced astronomical instruments, which, as we expect, will bring comprehensive information on exoplanetary atmospheres.
... If life originated in quenches of hot fluids from ocean rifts, then a much justified concern is that the fluids emitted would be rapidly dispersed from their origin by hydrodynamic processes, which would dilute them so much that any kind of lifelike process might be impossible. Examples of suggestions for trapping mechanisms which might prevent this are found, for example, in [52,53]. However, it appears that one might look for signs of prebiotic chemistry in contexts in which the bath of water into which the fluids were emitted was less turbulent and of smaller volume than around most ocean ridges. ...
Some standard arguments are reviewed supporting deep ocean trenches as a likely location for the origin of terrestrial life. An analysis of proteomes of contemporary prokaryotes carried out by this group is cited as supporting evidence, indicating that the original proteins were formed by quenching from temperatures close to the boiling point of water. Coarse-grained simulations of the network formation process which agree quite well with experiments of such quenches both in drying and rapid fluid emission from a hot to a cold fluid are also described and cited as support for such a scenario. We suggest further experiments, observations and theoretical and simulation work to explore this hypothesis.
... [7]. Navrotsky et al. 2021 suggested that amino acids, small peptides and fatty acids might acted as structure directing agents for functional porous silica structure gathering that promotes polymerization of amino acids and peptides along with other organic reactions [10]. Amino acids are the building block, as well as essential components for the formation and growth of life.Proteins act as catalyst in biochemical reactions, building materials for living cell, structural role inside the cell and found within the cell membrane. ...
... [7]. Navrotsky et al. 2021 suggested that amino acids, small peptides and fatty acids might acted as structure directing agents for functional porous silica structure gathering that promotes polymerization of amino acids and peptides along with other organic reactions [10]. Amino acids are the building block, as well as essential components for the formation and growth of life.Proteins act as catalyst in biochemical reactions, building materials for living cell, structural role inside the cell and found within the cell membrane. ...
Double metal cyanide (DMC), a heterogeneous catalyst, is a key factor for polymerization of amino acids. Based on the hypothesis, the present study is designed to evaluate favorable environmental conditions for the chemical evolution and origin of life such as effects of temperature and time for the oligomerization of glycine and alanine on Metal(II) Hexacyanocobaltate(III), MHCCo. It has been shown that MHCCo is porous and because of high surface area it has outstanding catalytic properties. Our results revealed that the Manganese(II) Hexacyanocobaltate(III) (MnHCCo), Iron(II) Hexacyanocobaltate(III) (FeHCCo), Nickel(II) Hexacyanocobaltate(III) (NiHCCo) complexes condense the glycine up to trimer and alanine up to dimer while ZnHCCo showed most valuable catalytic properties that changes glycine into tetramer and alanine into dimer with the high yield. High-Performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and Electron Spray Ionizations-Mass spectroscopy (ESI-MS) techniques were used to confirm the oligomer products of glycine and alanine formed on MHCCo complexes. The results also exposed the catalytic role of MHCCo for the oligomerization of biomolecules thus supports the chemical evolution.
... Numerous experimental and computational studies can be found in the literature involving the mechanism of silica speciation and nucleation in the context of porous material synthesis 2,3,14,[17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29] . Therefore, the mechanisms that govern the oligomerization of silica in simple aqueous solutions are often assumed to be well understood. ...
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