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. 2022 Jan 28;12(2):198.
doi: 10.3390/life12020198.

Oxidative Phosphorus Chemistry Perturbed by Minerals

Arthur Omran  1   2 , Josh Abbatiello  2 , Tian Feng  2 , Matthew A Pasek  2
Affiliations

Oxidative Phosphorus Chemistry Perturbed by Minerals

Arthur Omran et al. Life (Basel). .

Abstract

Life is a complex, open chemical system that must be supported with energy inputs. If one fathoms how simple early life must have been, the complexity of modern-day life is staggering by comparison. A minimally complex system that could plausibly provide pyrophosphates for early life could be the oxidation of reduced phosphorus sources such as hypophosphite and phosphite. Like all plausible prebiotic chemistries, this system would have been altered by minerals and rocks in close contact with the evolving solutions. This study addresses the different types of perturbations that minerals might have on this chemical system. This study finds that minerals may inhibit the total production of oxidized phosphorus from reduced phosphorus species, they may facilitate the production of phosphate, or they may facilitate the production of pyrophosphate. This study concludes with the idea that mineral perturbations from the environment increase the chemical complexity of this system.

Keywords: Fenton chemistry; chemical complexity; chemical evolution; minerals; olivine; pyrophosphate; reduced phosphorus; schreibersite; serpentinite; ulexite.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Scheme 1
Scheme 1
Explanation of the Fenton reaction. Reaction of the iron complex is partially soluble and in solution, with iron (III) likely being solid and iron (II) more soluble.
Figure 1
Figure 1
P31-NMR spectrum of the corrosion of schreibersite. An amount of 0.5 Fe3P powder was placed in 15 mL of water for 1 week under a 20% mixed CO2/CH4 and 80% N2 atmosphere. The water contained multiple phosphorus species, including reduced phosphorus species, such as hypophosphite (H2PO2−) and phosphite (HPO32−).
Scheme 2
Scheme 2
Explanation of the phosphorus oxidation pathway.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Complex mixture of different oxidation states of P species. Hypophosphite added to the Fenton reaction in the presence of schreibersite. Decoupled 31P NMR.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Diagram of how minerals may inhibit the Fenton reaction.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Diagram of how minerals may enhance the Fenton reaction.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Diagram of how minerals may be facilitating phosphorus chemistry via the Fenton reaction.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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