Synthesis of mineral-organic hybrid materials under dynamic prebiotic conditions

Abstract

Abstract The increasing of molecular complexity must be understood as a planetary phenomenon where prebiotic chemistry and geological settings converge. In this scene, HCN chemistry may have played a crucial role. In this study, we demonstrate that alkaline water aerosols, cyanide, and mineral substrates can lead to the generation of inorganic-organic hybrid materials under laboratory simulation conditions inspired in plausible primitive geological conditions. After a comprehensive characterization of these hybrid systems by microscopy, thermal and spectroscopic techniques was found that the macromolecular architectures of the organic phases were strongly influenced by mineral type and reaction time, while pH variations and redox conditions modified significantly some of the mineral fractions. Our results challenge the conventional view that minerals merely serve as catalysts or redox substrates in prebiotic chemistry. We show that dynamic interactions between inorganic surfaces and the HCN wet chemistry can generate inorganic-organic hybrid materials, revealing new perspectives to be explored under the light of the chemical evolution and space exploration.