AUTHOR(S): 

Nigel Aylward

TITLE

A Prebiotic Surface Catalysed Photochemically Activated Synthesis of L-Cystine

KEYWORDS

Ethyne, Aziridine complexes, Mg.porphin, Disulfide, L-cystine

ABSTRACT

Alkynes such as ethyne form weak charge-transfer, ?2 -alkynyl complexes with surface catalysts such as Mg.porphin in which the alkynyl group is positively charged and the porphin has a negative charge. The enthalpy change is -0.018 h. Rate limiting reaction with ammonia leads to addition and ring closure to form a bound Mg.aziridinyl.porphin complex. Addition of disulphide anion to the complex allows the formation of Mg.1,N-2-disulfanyl ethanimin-1yl.porphin. When the imine is bound to a Mg.porphin complex in which carbon monoxide has been oriented by exciting radiation an aziridine-2one complex is formed hydrolysable to the amino acid 2-amino-3-disulfanyl propanoic acid-. This may then act as a nucleophilic reactant with another Mg.aziridinyl.porphin complex, leading to ring opening and an imine containing an S-S bond. When this process is repeated that the imine is bound to a Mg.porphin complex in which carbon monoxide has been oriented by exciting radiation an aziridine-2one complex is formed hydrolysable to the amino acid L-cystine. The reactions have been shown to be feasible from the overall enthalpy changes in the ZKE approximation at the HF and MP2 /6-31G* level.

Cite this paper

Nigel Aylward. (2017) A Prebiotic Surface Catalysed Photochemically Activated Synthesis of L-Cystine. International Journal of Biology and Biomedicine, 2, 20-28