title: One-pot TiO2-catalyzed synthesis of nucleic bases and acyclonucleosides from formamide: implications for the origin of life.
abstract: A novel one-pot TiO2-catalyzed synthesis of nucleobases and acyclonucleosides from formamide is reported. Since formamide can be formed under prebiotic conditions, these reactions have implications for the origin of life. While a number of purine derivatives have been found as products of non-TiO2-catalyzed reactions, important compounds that would not otherwise occur (namely, thymine, 5-hydroxymethyluracil, and acyclonucleosides) are formed in acceptable yields by TiO2-catalyzed reactions. Moreover, TiO2 selectively affects the rates of degradation of nucleobases, as single units and when embedded in polynucleotides.
authors.affiliation: INFM, Dipartimento A.B.A.C. Università della Tuscia, Via San Camillo De Lellis 01100 Viterbo, Italy. saladino@unitus.it
authors.forename: Raffaele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Saladino
authors.forename: Umberto
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Ciambecchini
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Crestini
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Costanzo
authors.forename: Rodolfo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Negri
authors.forename: Ernesto
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Di Mauro
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D002384:Catalysis; D005559:Formamides / Q000737:chemistry*; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009705:Nucleosides / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry*; D009841:Oligonucleotides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D000069497:Origin of Life; D011687:Purines / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D014025:Titanium / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D005559:Formamides; D009705:Nucleosides; D009841:Oligonucleotides; D011687:Purines; D011743:Pyrimidines; C009495:titanium dioxide; C031066:formamide; D014025:Titanium