The low solubility of phosphate minerals make them an unlikely source of phosphorus for the first organisms, and extraterrestrial phosphorus-bearing compounds, such as those formed from hydration of phosphide minerals found in meteorites, have been proposed as alternative sources. The only organic phosphorus compounds on the Murchison meteorite were alkyl phosphonic acids.  Previous studies have shown that the simplest C1 and C2 alkyl phosphonic acids could be formed from irradiated mixtures of organic compounds with aqueous phosphite, which is a product of phosphide hydrolysis.  The recent discovery of phosphine (PH3) in the interstellar medium expands the possible origins of alkyl phosphonic acids to formation on interstellar icy grains.  This research simulates conditions in molecular clouds such as low temperatures, ultrahigh vacuum pressures, the chemical composition, and ionizing energy sources in order to unravel the formation mechanisms of alkyl phosphonic acids in phosphine-bearing ices.

Formation of alkyl phosphonic acids using phosphine ices

246th National Meeting (2013)

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