| The primary objective of this study was to investigate the prebiotic organic synthesis of biologically important molecules such as amino acids, purines, and pyrimidines under the reducing conditions which exist in hydrothermal sub-sea vents.; In connection with this objective, free energy minimization calculations have been conducted on gas mixtures containing N2, CO2, H2O and H2S at pressures and temperatures similar to those present at hydrothermal vents. On the basis of these calculations, it is proposed that soluble metal species such as Fe (II) concentrate HCN and NH3 to form cyano-complexes as the major source of carbon and nitrogen. Thus, formation of stable cyano-complexes can overcome a major entropy barrier for the prebiotic synthesis of biological molecules.; In order to examine this hypothesis, experimental work has been completed to investigate the chemical behaviour of cyano-complexes under the reducing conditions. Due to the fact that iron is one of the most abundant metals on Earth and is also present in a large amount at sub-sea vents, sodium ferrocyanide was chosen for this purpose. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)... |
