Reaction of Amino Acids in a Supercritical Water-Flow Reactor Simulating Submarine Hydrothermal Systems

A novel supercritical water flow-reactor was constructed in order to simulate submarine hydrothermal systems. The temperature of fluid inside the reaction tube could be monitored with thermocouples, which was proved to be different from the temperature outside the reaction tube. Oligomers of glycine up to tetraglycine were formed when a 100 mM glycine solution was heated at 200–350 °C for 2 minutes. None of glycine peptides were produced at 400 °C. It was suggested, however, that the formation of glycine condensates at higher temperature, including supercritical conditions of water. The stability of some amino acids under hydrothermal conditions was examined. ω-Amino acids and glutamic acid, which can form intramolecular condensates, showed higher stability than other α-amino acids at higher temperature, including supercritical conditions.

[1]  T. Matsui,et al.  Evolution of an impact-induced atmosphere and magma ocean on the accreting Earth , 1986, Nature.

[2]  H. Hartman,et al.  Synthesis of organic compounds from carbon monoxide and water by UV photolysis , 1978, Origins of life.

[3]  E. Shock.  Do amino acids equilibrate in hydrothermal fluids , 1990 .

[4]  E. Shock.  Chapter 5 Chemical environments of submarine hydrothermal systems , 2005, Origins of life and evolution of the biosphere.

[5]  H. Yanagawa,et al.  Genesis of amino acids in the primeval sea. Formation of amino acids from sugars and ammonia in a modified sea medium. , 1980, Journal of biochemistry.

[6]  Joel S. Levine,et al.  The photochemistry of the paleoatmosphere , 1982, Journal of Molecular Evolution.

[7]  H. Yanagawa,et al.  Stability of amino acids in simulated hydrothermal vent environments , 1997 .

[8]  A. Brack,et al.  Elongation of oligopeptides in a simulated submarine hydrothermal system. , 1999, Science.

[9]  N. Holm,et al.  Abiotic synthesis of amino acids under hydrothermal conditions and the origin of life: A perpetual phenomenon? , 1992, Naturwissenschaften.

[10]  Stanley L. Miller,et al.  Organic Compound Synthes on the Primitive Eart: Several questions about the origin of life have been answered, but much remains to be studied , 1959 .

[11]  H. Yanagawa,et al.  Formation of organized particles, marigranules and marisomers, from amino acids in a modified sea medium. , 1980, Bio Systems.

[12]  H. Yanagawa,et al.  Chapter 8 An experimental approach to chemical evolution in submarine hydrothermal systems , 2005, Origins of life and evolution of the biosphere.

[13]  S. Fox,et al.  Thermal Synthesis of Natural Amino-Acids from a Postulated Primitive Terrestrial Atmosphere , 1964, Nature.

[14]  K. Horikoshi,et al.  Reaction Behaviors of Glycine under Super- and Subcritical Water Conditions , 2002, Origins of life and evolution of the biosphere.

[15]  H. Yanagawa,et al.  Thermophilic microspheres of peptide-like polymers and silicates formed at 250°C , 1985 .

[16]  H. I. Oshry,et al.  The Dielectric Constant of Water at High Temperatures and in Equilibrium with its Vapor , 1950 .

[17]  David L. Williams,et al.  Submarine Thermal Springs on the Gal�pagos Rift , 1979, Science.

[18]  J. Kasting,et al.  Photochemistry of Methane in the Earth's Early Atmosphere , 1983 .

[19]  H. Helgeson,et al.  Theoretical prediction of the thermodynamic behavior of aqueous electrolytes by high pressures and temperatures; IV, Calculation of activity coefficients, osmotic coefficients, and apparent molal and standard and relative partial molal properties to 600 degrees C and 5kb , 1981 .

[20]  H. Urey,et al.  On the Early Chemical History of the Earth and the Origin of Life. , 1952, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

[21]  C. Sagan,et al.  Shock Synthesis of Amino Acids in Simulated Primitive Environments , 1970, Science.

[22]  A. Katritzky,et al.  Reactivity of Organic Compounds in Hot Water: Geochemical and Technological Implications , 1991, Science.

[23]  M. Schulte,et al.  Thermodynamics of strecker synthesis in hydrothermal systems , 1995, Origins of Life and Evolution of the Biosphere.

[24]  W. L. Marshall,et al.  Hydrothermal synthesis of amino acids , 1994 .

[25]  William Walden Rubey.  Geologic history of sea water , 1961 .

[26]  T. Oshima,et al.  Analysis of products synthesized from simulated primitive planetary atmospheres. I: Amino acids , 1991 .

[27]  W. L. Marshall,et al.  Ion Product of Water Substance, 0-1000 C, 1-10,000 Bars. New International Formulation and Its Background, , 1981 .

[28]  N. Holm.  Chapter 1 Why are hydrothermal systems proposed as plausible environments for the origin of life? , 2005, Origins of life and evolution of the biosphere.

[29]  E. Shock.  Geochemical constraints on the origin of organic compounds in hydrothermal systems , 1990, Origins of life and evolution of the biosphere.

[30]  C. Sagan,et al.  Long-Wavelength Ultraviolet Photoproduction of Amino Acids on the Primitive Earth , 1971, Science.

[31]  T. Fujii,et al.  Forced convective heat transfer to supercritical water flowing in tubes , 1972 .

[32]  M. Arai,et al.  AN IN SITU RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY STUDY OF SUBCRITICAL AND SUPERCRITICAL WATER: THE PECULIARITY OF HYDROGEN BONDING NEAR THE CRITICAL POINT , 1998 .

[33]  T. Oshima,et al.  Amino Acid Formation in Gas Mixtures by High Energy Particle Irradiation , 1998, Origins of life and evolution of the biosphere.

[34]  S. Miller.  A production of amino acids under possible primitive earth conditions. , 1953, Science.