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Synthesis of Prebiotic Building Blocks by Photochemistry

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Abstract

Ultraviolet(UV) light is a very competent energy source for the synthesis of prebiotic building blocks on early Earth. In aqueous solution, hydrated electron is produced by irradiating ferrocyanide/cuprous cyanide/hydrosulfide by 254 nm UV light. Hydrated electron is a powerful reducing reagent driving the formation of prebiotic building blocks under prebiotically plausible conditions. Here we summarize the photoredox synthesis of prebiotic related building blocks from hydrogen cyanide(HCN) and other prebiotically related molecules. These results indicate biological related building blocks can be generated on the surface of early Earth.

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Acknowledgments

The author thanks all John Sutherland’s group members for fruitful discussion.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, CB2 0QH, UK

    Ziwei Liu

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  1. Ziwei Liu
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Correspondence to Ziwei Liu.

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Liu, Z. Synthesis of Prebiotic Building Blocks by Photochemistry. Chem. Res. Chin. Univ. 36, 985–991 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40242-020-0289-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40242-020-0289-6

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