Work

Amplification of enantiomeric concentrations under credible prebiotic conditions

Year: 2006

Type: article

Abstract: Solutions with as little as 1% enantiomeric excess (ee) of D- or L-phenylalanine are amplified to 90% ee (a 95/5 ratio) by two successive evaporations to precipitate the racemate. Such a process on the prebiotic earth could lead to a mechanism by which meteoritic chiral alpha-alkyl amino acids could form solutions with high ee values that were needed for the beginning of biology.

Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0605863103

Authors: Ronald Breslow, Mindy S. Levine

Institution: Columbia University

Language: English

Topic: Origins and Evolution of Life

Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: green

OpenAlex ID: W2044484929

FWCI: 3.673

Cites: 6

Cited by: 143

Related to: 10