Polymer stereochemistry: an opportunity and a challenge on Titan.
It is suggested here that an alternative strategy for detecting signs of prebiotic chemistry on Titan would be to search for stereoregular polymers. Laboratory simulations of Titan's atmosphere suggest several interesting reactive vinyl monomers, including acrylonitrile. Polyacrylonitrile and derivatives made by side chain modification would be very interesting structures that could be envisioned as progenitors of complex chemical systems. The issues and challenges of considering polymer, rather than small molecule, stereochemistry as an indicator of prebiotic chemistry on Titan are briefly discussed.
Dougherty
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Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA. dad@igor.caltech.edu