Serpentinization-Associated Mineral Catalysis of the Protometabolic Formose System
The formose reaction is a plausible prebiotic chemistry, famed for its production of sugars. In this work, we demonstrate that the Cannizzaro process is the dominant process in the formose reaction under many different conditions, thus necessitating a catalyst for the formose reaction under various...
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MDPI AG
2023-05-01
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| Series: | Life |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/13/6/1297 |
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| author | Arthur Omran Asbell Gonzalez Cesar Menor-Salvan Michael Gaylor Jing Wang Jerzy Leszczynski Tian Feng |
| author_facet | Arthur Omran Asbell Gonzalez Cesar Menor-Salvan Michael Gaylor Jing Wang Jerzy Leszczynski Tian Feng |
| author_sort | Arthur Omran |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The formose reaction is a plausible prebiotic chemistry, famed for its production of sugars. In this work, we demonstrate that the Cannizzaro process is the dominant process in the formose reaction under many different conditions, thus necessitating a catalyst for the formose reaction under various environmental circumstances. The investigated formose reactions produce primarily organic acids associated with metabolism, a protometabolic system, and yield very little sugar left over. This is due to many of the acids forming from the degradation and Cannizaro reactions of many of the sugars produced during the formose reaction. We also show the heterogeneous Lewis-acid-based catalysis of the formose reaction by mineral systems associated with serpentinization. The minerals that showed catalytic activity include olivine, serpentinite, and calcium, and magnesium minerals including dolomite, calcite, and our Ca/Mg-chemical gardens. In addition, computational studies were performed for the first step of the formose reaction to investigate the reaction of formaldehyde, to either form methanol and formic acid under a Cannizzaro reaction or to react to form glycolaldehyde. Here, we postulate that serpentinization is therefore the startup process necessary to kick off a simple proto metabolic system—the formose protometabolic system. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T02:14:02Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-00ee1876fb34431c9567296d177cac2f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-1729 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T02:14:02Z |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
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| series | Life |
| spelling | doaj.art-00ee1876fb34431c9567296d177cac2f2023-11-18T11:17:21ZengMDPI AGLife2075-17292023-05-01136129710.3390/life13061297Serpentinization-Associated Mineral Catalysis of the Protometabolic Formose SystemArthur Omran0Asbell Gonzalez1Cesar Menor-Salvan2Michael Gaylor3Jing Wang4Jerzy Leszczynski5Tian Feng6Department of Chemistry, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USADepartment of Chemistry, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USADepartmento de Biologia de Sistemas, Universidad de Alcala, 28805 Alcala de Henares, SpainAnalytical Sciences, Small Molecules Technologies, Bayer U.S., Saint Louis, MO 63167, USADepartment of Chemistry, Physics and Atmospheric Sciences, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS 39217, USADepartment of Chemistry, Physics and Atmospheric Sciences, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS 39217, USADepartment of Geosciences, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USAThe formose reaction is a plausible prebiotic chemistry, famed for its production of sugars. In this work, we demonstrate that the Cannizzaro process is the dominant process in the formose reaction under many different conditions, thus necessitating a catalyst for the formose reaction under various environmental circumstances. The investigated formose reactions produce primarily organic acids associated with metabolism, a protometabolic system, and yield very little sugar left over. This is due to many of the acids forming from the degradation and Cannizaro reactions of many of the sugars produced during the formose reaction. We also show the heterogeneous Lewis-acid-based catalysis of the formose reaction by mineral systems associated with serpentinization. The minerals that showed catalytic activity include olivine, serpentinite, and calcium, and magnesium minerals including dolomite, calcite, and our Ca/Mg-chemical gardens. In addition, computational studies were performed for the first step of the formose reaction to investigate the reaction of formaldehyde, to either form methanol and formic acid under a Cannizzaro reaction or to react to form glycolaldehyde. Here, we postulate that serpentinization is therefore the startup process necessary to kick off a simple proto metabolic system—the formose protometabolic system.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/13/6/1297serpentinizationchemical gardenhydrothermal environmentsformose reactionprebiotic chemistrymetabolism |
| spellingShingle | Arthur Omran Asbell Gonzalez Cesar Menor-Salvan Michael Gaylor Jing Wang Jerzy Leszczynski Tian Feng Serpentinization-Associated Mineral Catalysis of the Protometabolic Formose System Life serpentinization chemical garden hydrothermal environments formose reaction prebiotic chemistry metabolism |
| title | Serpentinization-Associated Mineral Catalysis of the Protometabolic Formose System |
| title_full | Serpentinization-Associated Mineral Catalysis of the Protometabolic Formose System |
| title_fullStr | Serpentinization-Associated Mineral Catalysis of the Protometabolic Formose System |
| title_full_unstemmed | Serpentinization-Associated Mineral Catalysis of the Protometabolic Formose System |
| title_short | Serpentinization-Associated Mineral Catalysis of the Protometabolic Formose System |
| title_sort | serpentinization associated mineral catalysis of the protometabolic formose system |
| topic | serpentinization chemical garden hydrothermal environments formose reaction prebiotic chemistry metabolism |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/13/6/1297 |
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