Experimental and Theoretical Constraints on Amino Acid Formation from PAHs in Asteroidal Settings

Claudia-Corina Giese; Inge Loes ten Kate; Martijn P. A. van den Ende; Mariette Wolthers; José C. Aponte; Eloi Camprubi; Jason P. Dworkin; Jamie E. Elsila; Suzanne Hangx; Helen E. King; Hannah L. Mclain; Oliver Plümper; Alexander G. G. M. Tielens

doi:10.1021/acsearthspacechem.1c00329

Experimental and Theoretical Constraints on Amino Acid Formation from PAHs in Asteroidal Settings

Claudia-Corina Giese, Inge Loes ten Kate, Martijn P. A. van den Ende, Mariette Wolthers, José C. Aponte, Eloi Camprubi, Jason P. Dworkin, Jamie E. Elsila, Suzanne Hangx, Helen E. King, Hannah L. Mclain, Oliver Plümper, Alexander G. G. M. Tielens

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

Amino acids and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) belong to the range of organic compounds detected in meteorites. In this study, we tested empirically and theoretically if PAHs are precursors for amino acids in carbonaceous chondrites, as previously suggested. We conducted experiments to synthesize amino acids from fluoranthene (PAH), with ammonium bicarbonate as a source for ammonia and carbon dioxide under mimicked asteroidal conditions. In our thermodynamic calculations, we extended our analysis to additional PAH-amino acid combinations. We explored 36 reactions involving the PAHs naphthalene, anthracene, fluoranthene, pyrene, triphenylene, and coronene and the amino acids glycine, alanine, valine, leucine, phenylalanine, and tyrosine. Our experiments do not show the formation of amino acids, whereas our theoretical results hint that PAHs could be precursors of amino acids in carbonaceous chondrites at low temperatures.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	468-481
Number of pages	14
Journal	ACS Earth and Space Chemistry
Volume	6
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.1c00329
Publication status	Published - 17 Mar 2022

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This research project was funded by the Spinoza Prize awarded to Prof. Dr. Xander Tielens and was supported in part by the NASA Astrobiology Institute through funding awarded to the Goddard Center for Astrobiology under proposal 13-13NAI7-0032, and by a grant from the Simons Foundation (SCOL award 302497 to J.P.D.). M.P.A.v.d.E. was supported by the French government through the 3IA Côte d’Azur Investments in the Future project managed by the National Research Agency (ANR) with the reference number ANR-19-P3IA-0002. M.W. has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (Grant Agreement No. 819588). E.C. is grateful to NWO’s Startimpuls.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.

Keywords

Amino Acids
Aqueous Alteration
Carbonaceous Chondrites
Equilibrium Thermodynamics
Meteorites
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons

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Giese, C.-C., Kate, I. L. T., Ende, M. P. A. V. D., Wolthers, M., Aponte, J. C., Camprubi, E., Dworkin, J. P., Elsila, J. E., Hangx, S., King, H. E., Mclain, H. L., Plümper, O., & Tielens, A. G. G. M. (2022). Experimental and Theoretical Constraints on Amino Acid Formation from PAHs in Asteroidal Settings. ACS Earth and Space Chemistry, 6(3), 468-481. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.1c00329

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abstract = "Amino acids and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) belong to the range of organic compounds detected in meteorites. In this study, we tested empirically and theoretically if PAHs are precursors for amino acids in carbonaceous chondrites, as previously suggested. We conducted experiments to synthesize amino acids from fluoranthene (PAH), with ammonium bicarbonate as a source for ammonia and carbon dioxide under mimicked asteroidal conditions. In our thermodynamic calculations, we extended our analysis to additional PAH-amino acid combinations. We explored 36 reactions involving the PAHs naphthalene, anthracene, fluoranthene, pyrene, triphenylene, and coronene and the amino acids glycine, alanine, valine, leucine, phenylalanine, and tyrosine. Our experiments do not show the formation of amino acids, whereas our theoretical results hint that PAHs could be precursors of amino acids in carbonaceous chondrites at low temperatures.",

keywords = "Amino Acids, Aqueous Alteration, Carbonaceous Chondrites, Equilibrium Thermodynamics, Meteorites, Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons",

author = "Claudia-Corina Giese and Kate, {Inge Loes ten} and Ende, {Martijn P. A. van den} and Mariette Wolthers and Aponte, {Jos{\'e} C.} and Eloi Camprubi and Dworkin, {Jason P.} and Elsila, {Jamie E.} and Suzanne Hangx and King, {Helen E.} and Mclain, {Hannah L.} and Oliver Pl{\"u}mper and Tielens, {Alexander G. G. M.}",

note = "Funding Information: This research project was funded by the Spinoza Prize awarded to Prof. Dr. Xander Tielens and was supported in part by the NASA Astrobiology Institute through funding awarded to the Goddard Center for Astrobiology under proposal 13-13NAI7-0032, and by a grant from the Simons Foundation (SCOL award 302497 to J.P.D.). M.P.A.v.d.E. was supported by the French government through the 3IA C{\^o}te d{\textquoteright}Azur Investments in the Future project managed by the National Research Agency (ANR) with the reference number ANR-19-P3IA-0002. M.W. has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union{\textquoteright}s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (Grant Agreement No. 819588). E.C. is grateful to NWO{\textquoteright}s Startimpuls. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022 American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.",

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Giese, C-C, Kate, ILT, Ende, MPAVD, Wolthers, M, Aponte, JC, Camprubi, E, Dworkin, JP, Elsila, JE, Hangx, S , King, HE, Mclain, HL, Plümper, O & Tielens, AGGM 2022, 'Experimental and Theoretical Constraints on Amino Acid Formation from PAHs in Asteroidal Settings', ACS Earth and Space Chemistry, vol. 6, no. 3, pp. 468-481. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.1c00329

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AU - Kate, Inge Loes ten

AU - Ende, Martijn P. A. van den

AU - Wolthers, Mariette

AU - Aponte, José C.

AU - Camprubi, Eloi

AU - Dworkin, Jason P.

AU - Elsila, Jamie E.

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AU - Plümper, Oliver

AU - Tielens, Alexander G. G. M.

N1 - Funding Information: This research project was funded by the Spinoza Prize awarded to Prof. Dr. Xander Tielens and was supported in part by the NASA Astrobiology Institute through funding awarded to the Goddard Center for Astrobiology under proposal 13-13NAI7-0032, and by a grant from the Simons Foundation (SCOL award 302497 to J.P.D.). M.P.A.v.d.E. was supported by the French government through the 3IA Côte d’Azur Investments in the Future project managed by the National Research Agency (ANR) with the reference number ANR-19-P3IA-0002. M.W. has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (Grant Agreement No. 819588). E.C. is grateful to NWO’s Startimpuls. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.

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N2 - Amino acids and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) belong to the range of organic compounds detected in meteorites. In this study, we tested empirically and theoretically if PAHs are precursors for amino acids in carbonaceous chondrites, as previously suggested. We conducted experiments to synthesize amino acids from fluoranthene (PAH), with ammonium bicarbonate as a source for ammonia and carbon dioxide under mimicked asteroidal conditions. In our thermodynamic calculations, we extended our analysis to additional PAH-amino acid combinations. We explored 36 reactions involving the PAHs naphthalene, anthracene, fluoranthene, pyrene, triphenylene, and coronene and the amino acids glycine, alanine, valine, leucine, phenylalanine, and tyrosine. Our experiments do not show the formation of amino acids, whereas our theoretical results hint that PAHs could be precursors of amino acids in carbonaceous chondrites at low temperatures.

AB - Amino acids and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) belong to the range of organic compounds detected in meteorites. In this study, we tested empirically and theoretically if PAHs are precursors for amino acids in carbonaceous chondrites, as previously suggested. We conducted experiments to synthesize amino acids from fluoranthene (PAH), with ammonium bicarbonate as a source for ammonia and carbon dioxide under mimicked asteroidal conditions. In our thermodynamic calculations, we extended our analysis to additional PAH-amino acid combinations. We explored 36 reactions involving the PAHs naphthalene, anthracene, fluoranthene, pyrene, triphenylene, and coronene and the amino acids glycine, alanine, valine, leucine, phenylalanine, and tyrosine. Our experiments do not show the formation of amino acids, whereas our theoretical results hint that PAHs could be precursors of amino acids in carbonaceous chondrites at low temperatures.

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KW - Aqueous Alteration

KW - Carbonaceous Chondrites

KW - Equilibrium Thermodynamics

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JO - ACS Earth and Space Chemistry

JF - ACS Earth and Space Chemistry

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ER -

Experimental and Theoretical Constraints on Amino Acid Formation from PAHs in Asteroidal Settings

Abstract

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Keywords

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