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Salinity and pH affect Na+-montmorillonite dissolution and amino acid adsorption: a prebiotic chemistry study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 June 2014

Ana Paula S. F. Farias ,
Yasmin S. Tadayozzi ,
Cristine E. A. Carneiro  and
Dimas A. M. Zaia
Ana Paula S. F. Farias
Affiliation:
Laboratório de Química Prebiótica, Departamento de Química-CCE, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, 86051-990, Londrina-PR, Brazil
Yasmin S. Tadayozzi
Affiliation:
Laboratório de Química Prebiótica, Departamento de Química-CCE, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, 86051-990, Londrina-PR, Brazil
Cristine E. A. Carneiro
Affiliation:
Laboratório de Química Prebiótica, Departamento de Química-CCE, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, 86051-990, Londrina-PR, Brazil
Dimas A. M. Zaia*
Affiliation:
Laboratório de Química Prebiótica, Departamento de Química-CCE, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, 86051-990, Londrina-PR, Brazil
*
e-mail: damzaia@uel.br
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Abstract

The adsorption of amino acids onto minerals in prebiotic seas may have played an important role for their protection against hydrolysis and formation of polymers. In this study, we show that the adsorption of the prebiotic amino acids, glycine (Gly), α-alanine (α-Ala) and β-alanine (β-Ala), onto Na+-montmorillonite was dependent on salinity and pH. Specifically, adsorption decreased from 58.3–88.8 to 0–48.9% when salinity was increased from 10 to 100–150% of modern seawater. This result suggests reduced amino acid adsorption onto minerals in prebiotic seas, which may have been even more saline than the tested conditions. Amino acids also formed complexes with metals in seawater, affecting metal adsorption onto Na+-montmorillonite, and amino acid adsorption was enhanced when added before Na+-montmorillonite was exposed to high saline solutions. Also, the dissolution of Na+-montmorillonite was reduced in the presence of amino acids, with β-Ala being the most effective. Thus, prebiotic chemistry experiments should also consider the integrity of minerals in addition to their adsorption capacity.

Keywords

adsorptionamino acidsclay mineralsprebiotic chemistryseawater
Type
Research Article
Information
International Journal of Astrobiology , Volume 13 , Issue 3 , July 2014 , pp. 259 - 270
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014 

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