caa a22 4500 465744672 CHVBK 20180323111817.0 cr unu---uuuuu 170327e19900501xx s 000 0 eng 10.1007/BF01808106 doi (NATIONALLICENCE)springer-10.1007/BF01808106 The synthesis of amino acids and sugars on an inorganic template from constituents of the prebiotic atmosphere [Elektronische Daten] [B. Field, J. Spencer] Inelastic Electron Tunnelling Spectroscopy (IETS) has been used to identify the reaction products present on an alumina surface when it is exposed to likely components of the earth's prebiotic atmosphere. The alumina barrier of Al-AlO x -Pb tunnelling junctions have been exposed to water; aqueous ammonia; wet carbon monoxide gas and to aqueous formaldehyde vapour under normal atmospheric conditions at room temperature. The water spectrum shows strong coincidence with that of a genuine sample of formic acid. It is proposed that atmospheric CO2 is involved in this surface catalyzed reaction. The aqueous ammonia spectrum is assigned as an amino acid species produced from ammonia, water and atmospheric carbon dioxide. This spectrum compares very closely with the tunnelling spectrum of a genuine sample of glycine. The wet carbon monoxide spectrum and the aqueous formaldehyde spectrum have been produced by an infusion doping process. These spectra of CO and aqueous formaldehyde are assigned as a sugar like polymer or a sugar formed on the alumina surface. A tunnelling spectrum of D(−) fructose has been produced to aid this assignment. The role of an inorganic template such as alumina in the original prebiotic synthesis of amino acids and sugars is considered. Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1990 Field B. The Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory, The City University, Northampton Square, EC1V OHB, London, UK aut Spencer J. The Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory, The City University, Northampton Square, EC1V OHB, London, UK aut Origins of life and evolution of the biosphere Kluwer Academic Publishers 20/3-4(1990-05-01), 233-248 0169-6149 20:3-4<233 1990 20 11084 https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01808106 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI 1 research-article jats NATIONALLICENCE 856 40 https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01808106 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Field B. The Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory, The City University, Northampton Square, EC1V OHB, London, UK aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Spencer J. The Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory, The City University, Northampton Square, EC1V OHB, London, UK aut NATIONALLICENCE 773 0- Origins of life and evolution of the biosphere Kluwer Academic Publishers 20/3-4(1990-05-01), 233-248 0169-6149 20:3-4<233 1990 20 11084 Metadata rights reserved Springer special CC-BY-NC licence nationallicence SWISSBIB 465122779 BK010053 XK010053 XK010000 NATIONALLICENCE NATIONALLICENCE NL-springer