title: Potentially prebiotic syntheses of condensed phosphates.
abstract: In view of the importance of a prebiotic source of high energy phosphates, we have investigated a number of potentially prebiotic processes to produce condensed phosphates from orthophosphate and cyclic trimetaphosphate from tripolyphosphate. The reagents investigated include polymerizing nitriles, acid anhydrides, lactones, hexamethylene tetramine and carbon suboxide. A number of these processes give substantial yields of pyrophosphate from orthophosphate and trimetaphosphate from tripolyphosphate. Although these reactions may have been applicable in local areas, they are not sufficiently robust to have been of importance in the prebiotic open ocean.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla 92093-0317, USA.
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Keefe
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Miller
mesh_terms: D015107:4-Butyrolactone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000737:chemistry; D000089:Acetic Anhydrides / Q000737:chemistry; D002118:Calcium / Q000737:chemistry; D011756:Diphosphates / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D019418:Evolution, Chemical; D005557:Formaldehyde / Q000737:chemistry; D005561:Formates / Q000737:chemistry; D006856:Hydrogen Cyanide / Q000737:chemistry; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000737:chemistry; D008274:Magnesium / Q000737:chemistry; D008299:Maleic Anhydrides / Q000737:chemistry; D008709:Methenamine / Q000737:chemistry; D009570:Nitriles / Q000737:chemistry; D010710:Phosphates / Q000737:chemistry*; D011122:Polyphosphates / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry*; D013861:Thiocyanates / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000089:Acetic Anhydrides; D011756:Diphosphates; D005561:Formates; D007093:Imidazoles; D008299:Maleic Anhydrides; D009570:Nitriles; D010710:Phosphates; D011122:Polyphosphates; D013861:Thiocyanates; C030544:formic acid; D005557:Formaldehyde; C031800:acetic anhydride; D006856:Hydrogen Cyanide; C011206:cyanogen; C005412:pantolactone; C029899:imidazole; C009293:trimetaphosphoric acid; D008274:Magnesium; D008709:Methenamine; C005692:triphosphoric acid; C031760:thiocyanate; D015107:4-Butyrolactone; C017456:lactonitrile; D002118:Calcium