铁镍硫化物及其在生命起源中的可能作用

Iron Nickel Sulfides and Their Possible Roles in the Origin of Life

20世纪80年代后期国际上众多学者指出,过渡金属硫化物能促进无氧反应,可能在生命起源演化过程中起到重要作用。本文介绍了目前流行的生命起源理论,分析了实验条件下已取得的有机合成成果及相关生命的重要物质(如丙酮酸、乙酸和一些短的多肽等)在铁镍硫化物作用下的合成;讨论了几种可能的有机化合反应机理,开展铁镍硫化物催化剂性能、厌氧有机合成机理、合成条件最优化的研究,以及古洋底环境,提供了与地球早期生命起源相关的信息。

In the late 1980s, a hypothesis was proposed that the transition metal sulfides might played a significant role in promoting abiotic organic chemical reaction , and further played important role for the origin and evolution of lives. This paper has introduced the currently popular hypothesis on the origin of lives and has briefly analyzed the organic synthetization achievement obtained in experiment. Some fundamental substances associated with lives such as pyruvic acid, acetic acid and some short peptides have been successfully synthesized under the catalysis of iron nickel sulfides. Some possible reaction mechanisms of organic syntheses, which are critical for the origins of lives, have been discussed. The studies on the catalytic properties of iron nickel sulfides, mechanisms of the abiotic organosynthesis with transition metal sulfide and their optimal synthetic conditions, and the better understanding of the palaeo-ocean environment could provide vital information on the origin and evolution of the lives at the early stage of the Earth.