Photoelectrons from minerals and microbial world: A perspective on life evolution in the early Earth
Photoelectrons from minerals and microbial world: A perspective on life evolution in the early Earth
复制标题
DOI：
10.1016/j.precamres.2013.04.004
复制
发表时间：
2013-07
影响因子：
3.8
通讯作者：
Anhuai Lu;Yan Li;Xin Wang;Hongrui Ding;Cuiping Zeng;Xiaoxue Yang;R. Hao;Changqiu Wang;M. Santos
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Anhuai Lu;Yan Li;Xin Wang;Hongrui Ding;Cuiping Zeng;Xiaoxue Yang;R. Hao;Changqiu Wang;M. Santos
生命起源和进化的基础是能量来源和各种能量产生途径的机制。最近的研究表明，微生物、矿物质和太阳光的三元系统在我们星球的生命历史中发挥了关键作用。半导体矿物光催化介导的非光养微生物利用太阳能的途径为评价生命的起源和进化提供了新的概念。半导体矿物在地球表面无处不在，并广泛参与太阳光激发的光电子-光空穴对后的氧化还原反应。由于光空穴很容易被环境还原性物质清除，并且微生物拥有多种利用细胞外电子的策略，因此高还原性光电子成为微生物生命的潜在能源。这一途径的发现扩展了我们对非光养微生物利用太阳能的认识，并为评估早期地球上的生命提供了重要线索。
Fundamental to the origin and evolution of life are the sources of energy and mechanisms of various energy yielding pathways. Recent investigations revealed that the ternary system of microorganisms, minerals and solar light has played a critical role in the history of life on our planet. Solar energy utilization pathway by nonphototrophic microorganisms mediated by semiconducting mineral photocatalysis provides a new concept to evaluate the origin and evolution of life. Semiconducting minerals are ubiquitous on Earth's surface and widely participate in redox reactions following photoelectron–photohole pairs excited by solar light. As photoholes can be easily scavenged by environmental reductive substances and microorganisms possess multiple strategies to utilize extracellular electrons, the highly reductive photoelectrons serve as potential energy source for microbial life. The discovery of this pathway extends our knowledge on the use of solar energy by nonphototrophic microorganisms, and provides important clues to evaluate life on the early Earth.