Magnetite Synthesis in the Presence of Cyanide or Thiocyanate under Prebiotic Chemistry Conditions.

ABSTRACT: Magnetite is an iron oxide mineral component of primitive Earth. It is naturally synthesized in different ways, such as magma cooling as well as olivine decomposition under hydrothermal conditions. It is probable magnetite played a significant role in biogenesis. The seawater used in the current work contained high Mg2+, Ca2+ and SO42- concentrations, unlike the seawater of today that has high Na+ and Cl- concentrations. It is likely that this seawater better resembled the ion composition of the seas of the Earth from 4 billion years ago. Cyanide and thiocyanate were common molecules in prebiotic Earth, and especially in primitive oceans, where they could act on the magnetite mechanism synthesis via Fe2+ interaction. In this research, magnetite samples that were synthesized under prebiotic

SUBMITTER: Samulewski RB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7236013 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature