Stability of nucleic acid bases in concentrated sulfuric acid: Implications for the habitability of Venus' clouds.

ABSTRACT: What constitutes a habitable planet is a frontier to be explored and requires pushing the boundaries of our terracentric viewpoint for what we deem to be a habitable environment. Despite Venus' 700 K surface temperature being too hot for any plausible solvent and most organic covalent chemistry, Venus' cloud-filled atmosphere layers at 48 to 60 km above the surface hold the main requirements for life: suitable temperatures for covalent bonds; an energy source (sunlight); and a liquid solvent. Yet, the Venus clouds are widely thought to be incapable of supporting life because the droplets are composed of concentrated liquid sulfuric acid-an aggressive solvent that is assumed to rapidly destroy most biochemicals of life on Earth. Recent work, however, demonstrates that a rich organic chemist

SUBMITTER: Seager S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10288544 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature