Experimental investigation of the formation of dipeptides in the ices of Kuiper Belt Objects

柯伊伯带天体冰中二肽形成的实验研究

• 批准号: 250929795
• 负责人: Dr. Marko Förstel
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Arbeitsgruppe Lasermolekülspektroskopie und Umweltphysik (AG Dopfer)
• 依托单位国家: 德国
• 项目类别: Research Fellowships
• 财政年份: 2014
• 资助国家: 德国
• 起止时间: 2013-12-31 至 2015-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gepris.dfg.de/gepris/projekt/250929795?language=en
• 关键词: Experimental; investigation; formation; dipeptides; ices

How did there come to be organic molecules on early Earth? Did they develop here or arrive from elsewhere in the Solar System? One possible source is the Kuiper Belt beyond Neptune, where over 70,000 objects with a diameter larger than 100km have been identified to date. Most of these Kuiper Belt Objects, or KBOs, consist mainly of ice of varying compositions of CHON, the most common elements in living organisms. For example, the ice on Quaoar includes nitrogen, methane, ethane, and water. Because KBOs have existed since the early stages of the Solar System's development, these ices have been exposed to the ionizing solar radiation for billions of years. Such radiation can trigger chemical reactions in the ice matrix, possibly resulting in the formation of dipeptides. Dipeptides play a key role in the development of prebiotic molecules, not only as a building block of proteins but a catalyst of polypeptides and enzymes. Because KBOs are considered to be a key source of short period comets, they may have delivered these biologically relevant molecules to the early Earth.The goal of this project is to experimentally simulate the physical and chemical conditions and processes on KBOs, to determine if, and under what conditions, dipeptides can form there.To do this, we will synthesize ices analogue to KBO ices in composition and temperature, using a novel ultra-high vacuum machine. We will then expose the ices to ionizing radiation that simulates the naturally occurring radiation on KBOs (protons and photons). Both during and after the radiation of the ices, we will use an array of specially developed detection mechanisms to probe for complex organic molecules and for the dipeptide bond in particular. In the first phase, to rule out detection artifacts, we will first synthesize the pure ices and obtain measurements for later comparison. Then, in a second phase, the ices will be treated separately with each type of ionizing radiation, then treated with both photons and proton radiation simultaneously, as interactions are possible. Finally, in a third experimental phase, the ice will be doped with the mineral olivine (one of several similar minerals found on comets) before irradiation, to test for possible catalytic effects.

早期地球上是如何出现有机分子的？他们是在这里发展起来的，还是从太阳系的其他地方来的？一个可能的来源是海王星以外的柯伊伯带，迄今为止已经确定了超过70，000个直径大于100公里的物体。这些柯伊伯带天体（KBO）中的大多数主要由不同成分的冰组成，这些冰是生物体中最常见的元素。例如，夸欧尔上的冰包括氮气、甲烷、乙烷和水。由于KBO在太阳系发展的早期就已经存在，这些冰已经暴露在电离太阳辐射下数十亿年了。这种辐射可以引发冰基质中的化学反应，可能导致二肽的形成。二肽在益生元分子的发育中起着关键作用，不仅是蛋白质的构建单元，而且是多肽和酶的催化剂。由于KBO被认为是短周期彗星的主要来源，它们可能将这些生物相关分子传递给早期的地球。本项目的目标是通过实验模拟KBO上的物理和化学条件和过程，以确定是否以及在什么条件下可以在那里形成二肽。为此，我们将合成在成分和温度上类似于KBO冰的冰，采用新型超高真空机。然后，我们将把冰暴露在电离辐射下，模拟KBO（质子和光子）上自然发生的辐射。在冰的辐射期间和之后，我们将使用一系列专门开发的检测机制来探测复杂的有机分子，特别是二肽键。在第一阶段，为了排除检测伪影，我们将首先合成纯冰，并获得测量值以供稍后比较。然后，在第二阶段，冰将分别用每种类型的电离辐射处理，然后同时用光子和质子辐射处理，因为相互作用是可能的。最后，在第三个实验阶段，冰将在辐照前掺杂矿物橄榄石（彗星上发现的几种类似矿物之一），以测试可能的催化作用。

项目成果

PENTACARBON DIOXIDE (C5O2) FORMATION AND ITS ROLE AS A TRACER OF SOLAR SYSTEM EVOLUTION

五碳二氧化物 (C5O2) 的形成及其作为太阳系演化示踪剂的作用

• DOI: 10.3847/2041-8205/818/2/l30
• 发表时间: 2016
• 期刊: The Astrophysical Journal Letters
• 作者: Förstel M;Maksyutenko P;Mebel A. M;Kaiser R. I.
• 通讯作者: Kaiser R. I.

Synthesis of urea in cometary model ices and implications for Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.

彗星模型冰中尿素的合成及其对彗星 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko 的影响

• DOI: 10.1039/c5cc07635h
• 发表时间: 2016
• 期刊: Chemical communications
• 影响因子: 4.9
• 作者: Förstel M;Maksyutenko P;Jones B. M;Sun B.-J;Chang A. H. H;Kaiser R. I.
• 通讯作者: Kaiser R. I.

ON THE FORMATION OF AMIDE POLYMERS VIA CARBONYL–AMINO GROUP LINKAGES IN ENERGETICALLY PROCESSED ICES OF ASTROPHYSICAL RELEVANCE

• DOI: 10.3847/0004-637x/820/2/117
• 发表时间: 2016-03
• 期刊: The Astrophysical Journal
• 作者: M. Förstel;Pavlo Maksyutenko;B. Jones;B. Sun;Huan C. Lee;A. Chang;R. Kaiser

Detection of the Elusive Triazane Molecule (N3 H5 ) in the Gas Phase.

• DOI: 10.1002/cphc.201500560
• 发表时间: 2015-10
• 期刊: Chemphyschem : a European journal of chemical physics and physical chemistry
• 作者: M. Förstel;Pavlo Maksyutenko;B. Jones;B. Sun;S. Chen;A. Chang;R. Kaiser