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Was natural β radioactivity of carbon-14 the origin of optical one-handedness in life?

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Abstract

14C labelled solid D- and L-leucine decomposes with significantly different rates by auto-radiolysis. The β-decarboxylation ratio (103xCO2%)D/(103xCO2%)L was found to be (2.3±0.2)/(1.2±0.2)= 1.9±0.5 for samples kept in evacuated tubes at room temperature for 1 year /sp. activity: 0.9 MBq g−1; β-dose: 224 Gy/. EPR indicates a 10% higher radical concentration in the stored solid D-leucine samples than in L-leucine. The relevance of these results to the question of origin of optical onehandedness in life, is discussed.

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Author notes

  1. R. K. Tokay

    Present address: Faculty of Sciences and Arts, Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Istanbul, Maslak, Istanbul, Turkey

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physical Chemistry and Nuclear Chemistry, Chalmers University of Technology, S-412 96, Gothenburg, Sweden

    R. K. Tokay, B. Nordén, J. -O. Liljenzin & S. Andersson

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  1. R. K. Tokay
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  2. B. Nordén
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  3. J. -O. Liljenzin
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  4. S. Andersson
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Tokay, R.K., Nordén, B., Liljenzin, J.O. et al. Was natural β radioactivity of carbon-14 the origin of optical one-handedness in life?. Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry Letters 104, 337–347 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02166220

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02166220

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