Study of Plasma Induced Chemistry by DC Discharges in CO2/N2/H2O Mixtures Above a Water Surface
Tóm tắt
The chemistry induced by atmospheric pressure DC discharges above a water surface in CO2/N2/H2O mixtures was investigated. The gaseous mixtures studied represent a model prebiotic atmosphere of the Earth. The most remarkable changes in the chemical composition of the treated gas were the decomposition of CO2 and the production of CO. The concentration of CO increased logarithmically with the increasing input energy density and an increasing initial concentration of CO2 in the gas. The highest achieved concentration of CO was 4.0 ± 0.6 vol. %. The production of CO was crucial for the synthesis of organic species, since reactions of CO with some reactive species generated in the plasma, e. g. H
${\scriptstyle\bullet}$
or N
${\scriptstyle\bullet}$
radicals, were probably the starting point in this synthesis. The presence of organic species (including the tentative identification of some amino acids) was demonstrated by the analysis of solid and liquid samples by high-performance liquid chromatography, infrared absorption spectroscopy and proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometry. Formation of organic species in a completely inorganic CO2/N2/H2O atmosphere is a significant finding for the theory of the origins of life.
Tài liệu tham khảo
Foltin V, Lestinska L, Machala Z (2006) Spectroscopic investigations of atmospheric pressure microwave torch nitrogen plasma jet. Czechoslov J Phys 56:B712–B720
Hansel A et al (1995) Proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry: On line trace gas analysis at the ppb level. Int J Mass Spectrom Ion Process 149/150:609
Hensel K, Pawłat J, Takashima K, Mizuno A (2003) Possibilities of formaldehyde removal by discharge plasma. In: Proc. Int. Joint Power Generation Conference IJPGC, Georgia (USA), pp. paper IJPGC2003–40149 CD–ROM
Hokazono H, Obara M, Midorikawa K, Tashiro H (1991) Theoretical operational life study of the closed-cycle transversely excited atmospheric CO2 laser. J Appl Phys 69(10):6850
Kasting J, Brown L (1998) The molecular origins of life. Cambridge University Press, New York, pp 35–56
Machala Z, Morvova M, Marode E, Morva I (2000) Removal of cyclohexanone in transition electric discharges at atmospheric pressure. J Phys D: Appl Phys 33:3198
Mikoviny T et al (2005) Proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) measurements of gas phase products in pulsed spark discharge in CO2+N2+H2O atmosphere. In: Proceedings of the 15th Symposium on Applications of Plasma Processes and 3rd EU-Japan Joint Symposium on Plasma Processing, Podbanske, p 213
Miller S (1953) Production of amino acids under possible primitive earth conditions. Science 117:528
Miller S (1992) The prebiotic synthesis of organic compounds as a step toward origin of life, in major events in the hstory of life. Jones & Bertlett, Boston, pp 1–28
Miller SL (1955) Production of some organic compounds under possible primitive earth conditions. J Am Chem Soc 77:2351
Miyakawa S, Cleaves H, Miller S (2002a) The cold origin of life: A. Implications based on the hydrolytic stabilities of hydrogen cyanide and formamide. Orig Life Evol Biosph 33:195–208
Miyakawa S, Yamanashi H, Kobayashi K, Cleaves H, Miller S (2002b) Prebiotic synthesis from CO atmospheres: implications for the origins of life. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 99:14628–14631
Morvova, M (1999) The influence of water vapour and temperature on depletion of carbon monoxide in D.C. corona discharge. Czechoslov J Phys 49:1703–1720
Morvova M, Hanic F, Morva I (1998) Possibilities of formaldehyde removal by discharge plasma. In: 11th Symposium on Elementary Processes and Chemical Reactions in Low Temperature Plasma, Part 2, Low Tatras, pp 237–241
Morvová M, Hanic F, Morva I (2000) Plasma technologies for reducing CO2 emissions from combustion exhaust with toxic admixtures to utilizable products. J Therm Anal Calorim 61:273–287
Plankensteiner K et al (2007) Discharge experiments simulating chemical evolution on the surface of Titan. Icarus 187:616–619
Rode BM (1999) Peptides and the origin of life. Peptides 20:773
Rubey W (1955) Development of the hydrosphere and atmosphere, with special reference to probable composition to the early atmosphere. Geol Soc Amer (Special Paper) 62:631
Schlesinger G, Miller S (1983) Prebiotic synthesis in atmospheres containing CH4, CO, and CO2. I. Amino acids. J Mol Evol 19:376–382
Sigvaldason G, Elisson G (1968) Collection and analyses of volcanic gases at Surtsey, Iceland. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 32:797