In:
Science Advances, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Vol. 5, No. 8 ( 2019-08-02)
Abstract:
For decades, the source of phosphorus incorporated into Earth’s first organisms has remained a fundamental, unsolved puzzle. Although contemporary biomolecules incorporate P(+V) in their phosphate moieties, the limited bioavailability of phosphates led to the proposal that more soluble P(+III) compounds served as the initial source of phosphorus. Here, we report via laboratory simulation experiments that the three simplest alkylphosphonic acids, soluble organic phosphorus P(+III) compounds, can be efficiently generated in interstellar, phosphine-doped ices through interaction with galactic cosmic rays. This discovery opens a previously overlooked avenue into the formation of key molecules of astrobiological significance and untangles basic mechanisms of a facile synthesis of phosphorus-containing organics in extraterrestrial ices, which can be incorporated into comets and asteroids before their delivery and detection on Earth such as in the Murchison meteorite.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
2375-2548
DOI:
10.1126/sciadv.aaw4307
Language:
English
Publisher:
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Publication Date:
2019
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2810933-8
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