Detalles de publicación
PP 013032
Stability Toward High Energy Radiation of Non Proteinogenic Amino Acids: Implications for the Origins of Life
1
Actinium Chemical Research srl, Via Casilina 1626A, 00133 Rome, Italy
E
-
Mail
:
franco.cataldo@fastwebnet.it
2
Osservatorio Astrofisico di Catania, Via S.
Sofia 78, 95123 Catania, Italy
;
3
National Center for Astronomy, KACST, P.O. Box 6086, Riyad 11442 Saudi Arabia
4
Istituto di Metodologie Chimiche, CNR, Via Salaria Km 29,300, Monterotondo Stazione 00016,
Rome, Italy
5
Instituto de Astrofisica de C
anarias, Via Lactea s/n, 38200 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
Universidad de La Laguna, Spain
Abstract:
A series of non
-
proteinogenic amino acids most of them found quite commonly
in the meteorites known as carbonaceous chondrites were subjected to solid state radiolysis
in vacuum to a total radiation dose of 3.2 MGy cor
responding to 23% of the total dose
expected to be taken by organic molecules buried in asteroids and meteorites since the
beginning of the Solar System
in 4.6x10
9
years
. The radiolyzed amino acids where studied
by FT
-
IR spectroscopy
, Differential Scannin
g Calorimetry (DSC) and by polarimety and
Optical Rotatory Dispersion (ORD). It is shown that an important fraction of each amino
acid is able to “survive” to the massive dose of radiation and also the enantiomeric excess
is partially preserved. Based on t
he results obtained it is concluded that it is not a surprise
to find amino acids even in enantiomeric excess in carbonaceous chondrites
A series of non
-
proteinogenic amino acids most of them found quite commonly
in the meteorites known as carbonaceous chondrites were subjected to solid state radiolysis
in vacuum to a total radiation dose of 3.2 MGy cor
responding to 23% of the total dose
expected to be taken by organic molecules buried in asteroids and meteorites since the
beginning of the Solar System
in 4.6x10
9
years
. The radiolyzed amino acids where studied
by FT
-
IR spectroscopy
, Differential Scannin
g Calorimetry (DSC) and by polarimety and
Optical Rotatory Dispersion (ORD). It is shown that an important fraction of each amino
acid is able to “survive” to the massive dose of radiation and also the enantiomeric excess
is partially preserved. Based on t
he results obtained it is concluded that it is not a surprise
to find amino acids even in enantiomeric excess in carbonaceous chondrites