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Vollmer C, Kepaptsoglou D, Leitner J, Mosberg AB, El Hajraoui K, King AJ, Bays CL, Schofield PF, Araki T, Ramasse QM. High-spatial resolution functional chemistry of nitrogen compounds in the observed UK meteorite fall Winchcombe. Nat Commun 2024; 15:778. [PMID: 38278803 PMCID: PMC10817942 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45064-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Organic matter in extraterrestrial samples is a complex material that might have played an important role in the delivery of prebiotic molecules to the early Earth. We report here on the identification of nitrogen-containing compounds such as amino acids and N-heterocycles within the recent observed meteorite fall Winchcombe by high-spatial resolution spectroscopy techniques. Although nitrogen contents of Winchcombe organic matter are low (N/C ~ 1-3%), we were able to detect the presence of these compounds using a low-noise direct electron detector. These biologically relevant molecules have therefore been tentatively found within a fresh, minimally processed meteorite sample by high spatial resolution techniques conserving the overall petrographic context. Carbon functional chemistry investigations show that sizes of aromatic domains are small and that abundances of carboxylic functional groups are low. Our observations demonstrate that Winchcombe represents an important addition to the collection of carbonaceous chondrites and still preserves pristine extraterrestrial organic matter.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Demie Kepaptsoglou
- SuperSTEM Laboratory, Keckwick Lane, Daresbury, UK
- School of Physics, Engineering and Technology, University of York, Heslington, UK
| | - Jan Leitner
- Institut für Geowissenschaften, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Particle Chemistry Department, Mainz, Germany
| | | | - Khalil El Hajraoui
- SuperSTEM Laboratory, Keckwick Lane, Daresbury, UK
- School of Physics, Engineering and Technology, University of York, Heslington, UK
| | - Ashley J King
- Planetary Materials Group, Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | - Charlotte L Bays
- Planetary Materials Group, Natural History Museum, London, UK
- Department of Earth Sciences, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, UK
| | | | - Tohru Araki
- Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, UK
- National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Institute for Molecular Science, UVSOR Synchrotron Facility, Okazaki, Japan
| | - Quentin M Ramasse
- SuperSTEM Laboratory, Keckwick Lane, Daresbury, UK
- School of Chemical and Process Engineering and School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
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