Complex organics in meteorites

Quantifying Global Origin-Diagnostic Features and Patterns in Biotic and Abiotic Acyclic Lipids for Life Detection

Lipids are a geologically robust class of organics ubiquitous to life as we know it. Lipid-like soluble organics are synthesized abiotically and have been identified in carbonaceous meteorites and on Mars. Ascertaining the origin of lipids on Mars would be a profound astrobiological achievement. We enumerate origin-diagnostic features and patterns in two acyclic lipid classes, fatty acids (i.e., carboxylic acids) and acyclic hydrocarbons, by collecting and analyzing molecular data reported in over 1500 samples from previously published studies of terrestrial and meteoritic organics. We identify 27 combined (15 for fatty acids, 12 for acyclic hydrocarbons) molecular patterns and structural features that can aid in distinguishing biotic from abiotic synthesis. Principal component analysis (PCA) demonstrates that multivariate analyses of molecular features (16 for fatty acids, 14 for acyclic hydrocarbons) can potentially indicate sample origin. Terrestrial lipids are dominated by longer straight-chain molecules (C4-C34 fatty acids, C14-C46 acyclic hydrocarbons), with predominance for specific branched and unsaturated isomers. Lipid-like meteoritic soluble organics are shorter, with random configurations. Organic solvent-extraction techniques are most commonly reported, motivating the design of our novel instrument, the Extractor for Chemical Analysis of Lipid Biomarkers in Regolith (ExCALiBR), which extracts lipids while preserving origin-diagnostic features that can indicate biogenicity.

Plausible Emergence and Self Assembly of a Primitive Phospholipid from Reduced Phosphorus on the Primordial Earth

How life arose on the primitive Earth is one of the biggest questions in science. Biomolecular emergence scenarios have proliferated in the literature but accounting for the ubiquity of oxidized (+ 5) phosphate (PO43-) in extant biochemistries has been challenging due to the dearth of phosphate and molecular oxygen on the primordial Earth. A compelling body of work suggests that exogenous schreibersite ((Fe,Ni)3P) was delivered to Earth via meteorite impacts during the Heavy Bombardment (ca. 4.1-3.8 Gya) and there converted to reduced P oxyanions (e.g., phosphite (HPO32-) and hypophosphite (H2PO2-)) and phosphonates. Inspired by this idea, we review the relevant literature to deduce a plausible reduced phospholipid analog of modern phosphatidylcholines that could have emerged in a primordial hydrothermal setting. A shallow alkaline lacustrine basin underlain by active hydrothermal fissures and meteoritic schreibersite-, clay-, and metal-enriched sediments is envisioned. The water column is laden with known and putative primordial hydrothermal reagents. Small system dimensions and thermal- and UV-driven evaporation further concentrate chemical precursors. We hypothesize that a reduced phospholipid arises from Fischer-Tropsch-type (FTT) production of a C8 alkanoic acid, which condenses with an organophosphinate (derived from schreibersite corrosion to hypophosphite with subsequent methylation/oxidation), to yield a reduced protophospholipid. This then condenses with an α-amino nitrile (derived from Strecker-type reactions) to form the polar head. Preliminary modeling results indicate that reduced phospholipids do not aggregate rapidly; however, single layer micelles are stable up to aggregates with approximately 100 molecules.

Profiling Murchison Soluble Organic Matter for New Organic Compounds with APPI- and ESI-FT-ICR MS

The investigation of the abundant organic matter in primitive meteorite such as carbonaceous chondrites is of major interest in the field of origin of life. In this study, the soluble organic fraction of the Murchison meteorite was analyzed by atmospheric pressure photoionization (APPI) and electrospray ionization (ESI) Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS), in both detection modes. Such an approach ensured that we obtained an extensive description of the organic matter of the CM2 meteorite. Indeed, while in total close to 16,000 unique features were assigned, only 4% are common to all analyses, illustrating the complementarity of both the detection modes and the ionization sources. ESI FT-ICR MS analysis, in negative-ion mode, ensured to observe specifically CHOS and CHNOS species, whereas the positive-ion mode is more dedicated to the detection of CHNO and CHN species. Moreover, new organomagnesium components were observed in (+) ESI. Eventually, (+) APPI FT-ICR MS analysis was a preferred method for the detection of less polar or nonpolar species such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons but also heteroatom aromatic species composing the organic matter of Murchison.

Pyrolysis and mass spectrometry studies of meteoritic organic matter

Meteorites are fragments of extraterrestrial materials that fall to the Earth's surface. The carbon-rich meteorites are derived from ancient asteroids that have remained relatively unprocessed since the formation of the Solar System 4.56 billion years ago. They contain a variety of extraterrestrial organic molecules that are a record of chemical evolution in the early Solar System and subsequent aqueous and thermal processes on their parent bodies. The major organic component (>70%) is a macromolecular material that resists straightforward solvent extraction. In response to its intractable nature, the most common means of investigating this exotic material involves a combination of thermal decomposition (pyrolysis) and mass spectrometry. Recently the approach has also been used to explore controversial claims of organic matter in meteorites from Mars. This review summarizes the pyrolysis data obtained from meteorites and outlines key interpretations.

Laboratory measurements of the recombination of PAH ions with electrons: implications for the PAH charge state in interstellar clouds

Laboratory measurements of the recombination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) ions with electrons are presented. Experimental data have been obtained at room temperature for azulene (C10H8) and acenaphthene (C12H10) cations by the Flowing Afterglow with PhotoIons method. The results confirm that the recombination of PAH ions is fast although well below the geometrical limit. The set of our recent and present measurements reveal a definite trend of increasing rate with the number of carbon atoms of the PAH. This behaviour that needs further characterization is potentially of great interest for charge state models as recombination is a dominant mechanism of PAH ion destruction in the interstellar medium. The design of experiments to measure the recombination of larger PAHs and their temperature dependence is discussed.

Characterization of complex organic compounds formed in simulated planetary atmospheres by the action of high energy particles

A wide variety of organic compounds, which are not simple organics but also complex organics, have been found in planets and comets. We reported that complex organics was formed in simulated planetary atmospheres by the action of high energy particles. Here we characterized the experimental products by using chromatographic and mass spectrometric techniques. A gaseous mixture of CO, N2 and H2O was irradiated with high energy protons (major components of cosmic rays). Water-soluble non-volatile substances, which gave amino acids after acid-hydrolysis, were characterized by HPLC and mass spectrometry. Major part of the products were complex compounds with molecular weight of several hundreds. Amino acid precursors were produced even when no water was incorporated with the starting materials. It was suggested that complex molecules including amino acid precursors were formed not in solution from simple molecules like HCN, but directly in gaseous phase.