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Molecular parity violation via comets?
Author(s) -
Meierhenrich Uwe,
Thiemann Wolfram H.P.,
Rosenbauer Helmut
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
chirality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.43
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 1520-636X
pISSN - 0899-0042
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1520-636x(1999)11:7<575::aid-chir10>3.0.co;2-p
Subject(s) - homochirality , chemistry , meteorite , enantiomer , astrobiology , organic molecules , molecule , comet , abiogenesis , interstellar medium , astrochemistry , earth (classical element) , organic chemistry , astrophysics , physics , astronomy , galaxy
Recent theoretical and experimental investigations referring to the origin of homochirality are reviewed and integrated into the hitherto known state of the art. Attention is directed to an extraterrestrial scenario, which describes the interaction of circularly polarized synchrotron radiation with interstellar organic matter. Following this Bonner‐Rubenstein hypothesis, optically active molecules could be transferred to Earth via comets. We plan to identify any enantiomeric enhancement in organic molecules of the cometary matter in situ. The present preliminary experimental study intends to optimize gas‐chromatographic conditions for the separation of racemates into their enantiomer constituents on the surface of the comet 46P/Wirtanen. Underivatized racemic pairs of alcohols, diols, and phenyl‐substituted amines have been separated with the help of a stationary trifluoroacetyl‐cyclodextrin phase. We are still developing a technique that will enable us to detect any enantiomeric enhancement of specific simple organic molecules both in cometary or Martian matter in situ and in meteorites found on Earth. Chirality 11:575–582, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.