Unveiling the role of inorganic nanoparticles in Earth's biochemical evolution through electron transfer dynamics.

ABSTRACT: This article explores the intricate interplay between inorganic nanoparticles and Earth's biochemical history, with a focus on their electron transfer properties. It reveals how iron oxide and sulfide nanoparticles, as examples of inorganic nanoparticles, exhibit oxidoreductase activity similar to proteins. Termed "life fossil oxidoreductases," these inorganic enzymes influence redox reactions, detoxification processes, and nutrient cycling in early Earth environments. By emphasizing the structural configuration of nanoparticles and their electron conformation, including oxygen defects and metal vacancies, especially electron hopping, the article provides a foundation for understanding inorganic enzyme mechanisms. This approach, rooted in physics, underscores that life's origin and evoluti

SUBMITTER: Huang XL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11024932 | biostudies-literature | 2024 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature