Open AccessQuantum Dots in Peroxidase-like Chemistry and Formamide-Based Hot Spring Synthesis of Nucleobases
Author(s) -
Lukáš Nejdl,
Lukáš Petera,
Judit E. Šponer,
Kristýna Zemánková,
Kristýna Pavelicová,
Antonín Knížek,
Vojtěch Adam,
Markéta Vaculovičová,
Ondřej Ivanek,
Martin Ferus
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
astrobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.234
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1531-1074
pISSN - 1557-8070
DOI - 10.1089/ast.2021.0099
Subject(s) - formamide , nucleobase , quantum dot , chemistry , nanotechnology , photochemistry , organic chemistry , materials science , dna , biochemistry
Quantum dots (QDs) are usually seen as artificial semiconductor particles exhibiting optical and electronic properties interesting for nanotechnological applications. However, they may also play a role in prebiotic chemistry. Starting from zinc acetate, cadmium acetate, and mercaptosuccinic acid, we demonstrate the formation of ZnCd QDs upon UV irradiation in prebiotic liquid formamide. We show that ZnCd QDs are able to increase the yield of RNA nucleobase synthesis from formamide up to 300 times, suggesting they might have served as universal catalysts in a primordial milieu. Based on the experimentally observed peroxidase-like activity of ZnCd QDs upon irradiation with visible light, we propose that QDs could be relevant to a broad variety of processes relating to the emergence of terrestrial life.