Enantiomeric enrichment on the prebiotic Earth.
Evaporation of an aqueous solution of a chiral, nonracemic (partially resolved) amino acid or hydroxy acid from a clay or silica surface is shown to produce crystals in six cases that possess increased concentrations of the more abundant enantiomer. The increases range from a factor of 1.2 as the low to a high greater than 6-fold above the near 8% enantiomeric excess starting levels. This newly discovered enantiomeric enrichment process is presented in the context of it having been a possible instrument in the attainment of levels of configurational homogeneity sufficient for the emergence of life on Earth.
Goldberg
Stanley I
SI
Department of Chemistry, University of New Orleans, New Orleans, LA 70148, USA. sgoldber@uno.edu
D000538:Aluminum Silicates; D000077215:Clay; D018534:Earth, Planet; D012822:Silicon Dioxide; D013237:Stereoisomerism
D000538:Aluminum Silicates; D012822:Silicon Dioxide; D000077215:Clay