Hydrothermal scenario for amino acids and sulfur-containing amino acids formation.

Abstract

The chemical evolution of amino acids, especially sulfur-containing ones, requires appropriate conditions and natural sources to provide starting prebiotic compounds. In the present study hydrothermal vents, volcanoes and oceans were chosen as a plausible environment, where prebiotic reactions take place. The suggested reaction network starts only with three compounds - water, hydrogen cyanide/formamide and hydrogen sulfide. The present study suggests one-pot hydrothermal experiment in laboratory conditions to demonstrate some vital prebiotic precursors formation. The reaction pathways from starting molecules to amino acids were modelled at SCS-MP2/cc-pVDZ/SMD level of the theory. The calculated energetic characteristics facilitate the determination of the plausible reaction pathways for amino acids - glycine, serine and alanine, along with sulfur-containing ones - cysteine and homocysteine under hydrothermal scenario.