Mechanochemical Prebiotic Peptide Bond Formation. (29th April 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Stolar, Tomislav; Grubešić, Saša; Cindro, Nikola; Meštrović, Ernest; Užarević, Krunoslav; Hernández, José G.
• Is Part Of: Angewandte Chemie. Volume 133:Number 23(2021)
• Page Start: 12837
• Page End: 12841
• Publication Date: 2021-04-29
• Subjects: amino acids -- mechanochemistry -- origin of life peptides -- prebiotic chemistry; Chemistry -- Periodicals; 540
• DOI: 10.1002/ange.202100806
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0044-8249

Abstract

Abstract: The presence of amino acids on the prebiotic Earth, either stemming from endogenous chemical routes or delivered by meteorites, is consensually accepted. Prebiotically plausible pathways to peptides from inactivated amino acids are still unclear as most oligomerization approaches rely on thermodynamically disfavored reactions in solution. Now, a combination of prebiotically plausible minerals and mechanochemical activation enables the oligomerization of glycine at ambient temperature in the absence of water. Raising the reaction temperature increases the degree of oligomerization concomitantly with the formation of a commonly unwanted cyclic glycine dimer (DKP). However, DKP is a productive intermediate in the mechanochemical oligomerization of glycine. The findings of this research show that mechanochemical peptide bond formation is a dynamic process that provides alternative routes towards oligopeptides and establishes new synthetic approaches for prebiotic chemistry. Abstract : Mechanical and thermal activation enable the solvent‐free oligomerization of inactivated amino acids in the presence of TiO2 to form peptides. Our observations validate the usefulness of mechanochemistry to simulate and study prebiotic chemistry in an impact scenario where dry land and mineral surfaces are critical for the concentration and formation of organic building blocks.