Contact between water vapor and silicate surface causes abiotic formation of reactive oxygen species in an anoxic atmosphere.

ABSTRACT: Spontaneous generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in aqueous microdroplets or at a water vapor-silicate interface is a new source of redox chemistry. However, such generation occurs with difficulty in liquid water having a large ionic strength. We report that ROS is spontaneously produced when water vapor contacts hydrogen-bonded hydroxyl groups on a silicate surface. The evolution of hydrogen-bonded species such as hydroxyl groups was investigated by using two-dimensional, time-resolved FT-IR spectroscopy. The participation of water vapor in ROS generation is confirmed by investigating the reaction of D₂O vapor and hydroxyl groups on a silicate surface. We propose a reaction pathway for ROS generation based on the change of the hydrogen-bonding network and corresponding e

SUBMITTER: Xia Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10372544 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature