Mimicking lightning-induced electrochemistry on the early Earth

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Jiang, Haihui Joy; Underwood, Thomas C.; Bell, Jeffrey G.; Lei, Jonathan; Gonzales, Joe C.; Emge, Lukas; Tadese, Leah G.; Rahman, Mohamed K. Abd El-; Wilmouth, David M.; Brazaca, Lais C.; Ni, Gigi; Belding, Lee; Dey, Supriya; Ashkarran, Ali Akbar; Nagarkar, Amit; Nemitz, Markus P.; Cafferty, Brian J.; Sayres, David S.; Ranjan, Sukrit; Crocker, Daniel R.; Anderson, James G.; Sasselov, Dimitar D.; Whitesides, George M.
• 署名单位: Harvard University; Harvard University; University of Texas System; University of Texas Austin; Harvard University; University of Arizona; University of Arizona; Harvard University
• 刊物名称: PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0027-11845
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2400819121
• 发表日期: 2024-08-06
• 关键词: nitrogen-fixation; prebiotic synthesis; LIFE; origin; environment; reduction; EVOLUTION; ammonia; nitrite; oxides

摘要

To test the hypothesis that an abiotic Earth and its inert atmosphere could form chemically reactive carbon- and nitrogen- containing compounds, we designed a plasma electrochemical setup to mimic lightning- induced electrochemistry under steady- state conditions of the early Earth. Air- gap electrochemical reactions at air-water-ground interfaces lead to remarkable yields, with up to 40 moles of carbon dioxide being reduced into carbon monoxide and formic acid, and 3 moles of gaseous nitrogen being fixed into nitrate, nitrite, and ammonium ions, per mole of transmitted electrons. Interfaces enable reactants (e.g., minerals) that may have been on land, in lakes, and in oceans to participate in radical and redox lightning strikes could have generated high concentrations of reactive molecules locally, establishing diverse feedstocks for early life to emerge and survive globally.