Abstract Our earlier experiments are briefly reviewed, involving the abiotic generation of optical activity by exposure of DL-amino acids to various “chiral” physical forces. The enantiomeric enrichments so obtained were low, however, and additional experiments were undertaken with the objective of abiotically enhancing such small enantiomeric excesses. D≠L Mixtures of leucine N-carboxy anhydride gave enantiomerically enriched polymers on partial polymerization, while valine NCA mixtures behaved oppositely. Leucine polymers were also found to hydrolyze stereoselectively, providing for additional enantiomenic enhancement. A repetitive sequence of partial polymerization-hydrolysis steps is suggested as a possible mechanism for the abiotic genesis of optically enriched polypeptides on the primitive Earth.
Experiments on the abiotic amplification of optical activity
Origins of life ; 11 , 1-2
1981
Aufsatz (Zeitschrift)
Englisch
Lokalklassifikation TIB: | 535/3908/4290 | |
BKL: | 44.71 Verkehrsmedizin |
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