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Stability of aqueous formaldehyde under γ irradiation: prebiotic relevance

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 September 2018

A. López-Islas ,
M. Colín-García  and
A. Negrón-Mendoza
A. López-Islas*
Affiliation:
Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cd. Universitaria, CDMX, México Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior s/n, Cd. Universitaria, Delegación Coyoacán, C.P. 04510, CDMX, México
M. Colín-García
Affiliation:
Instituto de Geología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito de la Investigación Científica s/n, Cd. Universitaria, Delegación Coyoacán, C.P. 04510, CDMX, México
A. Negrón-Mendoza
Affiliation:
Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior s/n, Cd. Universitaria, Delegación Coyoacán, C.P. 04510, CDMX, México
*
Author for correspondence: Anayelly López Islas, E-mail: anayelly.lopez@correo.nucleares.unam.mx
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Abstract

Formaldehyde is a precursor of sugars, which are compounds essential in all forms of life and a necessary molecule for prebiotic processes. This work focuses on evaluating the stability of formaldehyde exposed to a high radiation field simulating prebiotic conditions on primitive Earth, such as the ocean or shallow waters. Formaldehyde may have been formed from reactions in the atmosphere and from rainout processes reached water bodies. In our experiments, we employed γ radiation and found that formaldehyde was labile towards radiation and decomposed even at low irradiation doses due to the fact that aldehyde/hydrate groups present in formaldehyde structure are very reactive under irradiation. However, after exposing this molecule to several doses of irradiation, we detected the formation of formic acid and glycolaldehyde – both of which are of prebiotic interest. We also observed formaldehyde regeneration by one of its radiolytic products: formic acid.

Keywords

Formaldehydeformic acidγ radiationprebiotic chemistryradiolysissugars
Type
Research Article
Information
International Journal of Astrobiology , Volume 18 , Issue 5 , October 2019 , pp. 420 - 425
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2018 

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