Selective palladium nanoparticles-catalyzed hydrogenolysis of industrially targeted epoxides in water

A New Approach in Prebiotic Chemistry Studies: Proline Sorption Triggered by Mineral Surfaces Analysed Using XPS

The role of minerals in the origin of life and prebiotic evolution remains unknown and controversial. Mineral surfaces have the potential to facilitate prebiotic polymerization due to their ability to adsorb and concentrate biomolecules that subsequently can catalyse reactions; however, the precise nature of the interaction between the mineral host and the guest biomolecule still needs to be understood. In this context, we spectroscopically characterized, using infrared, X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques, the interaction between L-proline and montmorillonite, olivine, iron disulphide, and haematite (minerals of prebiotic interest), by evaluating their interaction from a liquid medium. This work provides insight into the chemical processes occurring between proline, the only cyclic amino acid, and this selection of minerals, each of them bearing a particular chemical and crystal structures. Proline was successfully adsorbed on montmorillonite, haematite, olivine, and iron disulphide in anionic and zwitterionic chemical forms, being the predominant form directly related to the mineral structure and composition. Silicates (montmorillonite) dominate adsorption, whereas iron oxides (haematite) show the lowest molecular affinity. This approach will help to understand structure-affinity relationship between the mineral surfaces and proline, one of the nine amino acids generated in the Miller-Urey experiment.

Catalytic Hydrogenation of Epoxides to Alcohols

Atom-economical catalytic reactions are a highly enticing strategy because all atoms of the starting materials are incorporated into the products. Catalytic hydrogenation of epoxides to alcohols is an attractive and alternative protocol to other synthetic methodologies for the synthesis of alcohols from alkenes. In the last two decades, catalytic hydrogenation of epoxides to alcohols has made remarkable progress in chemical synthesis. In this review, an overview of the catalytic hydrogenation of both terminal and internal epoxides to the corresponding alcohols is presented. An outline of both homogeneous and heterogeneous hydrogenation of epoxides to the corresponding alcohols is provided. Moreover, the selectivity, efficiency, and the reaction mechanisms of these epoxide hydrogenation reactions are highlighted.