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This paper presents and tests a previously unrecognised mechanism for drivinga replicating molecular system on the prebiotic earth. It is proposed thatcell-free RNA replication in the primordial soup may have been driven byself-sustained oscillatory thermochemical reactions. To test this hypothesis awell-characterised hydrogen peroxide oscillator was chosen as the driver andcomplementary RNA strands with known association and melting kinetics were usedas the substrate. An open flow system model for the self-consistent, coupledevolution of the temperature and concentrations in a simple autocatalyticscheme is solved numerically, and it is shown that thermochemical cyclingdrives replication of the RNA strands. For the (justifiably realistic) valuesof parameters chosen for the simulated example system, the mean amount ofreplicant produced at steady state is 6.56 times the input amount, given aconstant supply of substrate species. The spontaneous onset of sustainedthermochemical oscillations via slowly drifting parameters is demonstrated, anda scheme is given for prebiotic production of complementary RNA strands on rocksurfaces.

Hydrogen peroxide thermochemical oscillator as driver for primordial RNA replication