The capacity for self-replication is a fundamental property of life. To explore potential prebiotic processes, a number of artificial self-replicating systems have been devised. Among these, self-replicating micelles and vesicles are of a particular interest, as they are geometrically bounded structures not entirely dissimilar to living cells. Furthermore, catalytic micelles can compartmentalize information and function, which is a necessary condition for evolutionary selection. While examples of simple micellar/vesicular self-replication are not unusual, the capability for selective autocatalysis of these aggregates remains to be explored. Previously described examples of micellar self-replication have been limited to simple reactions, either bond-breaking or completely reversible, which do not generate added complexity beyond a shift in equilibrium. In this presentation we describe an example of strongly self-selective system in which self-replication of micellar aggregates based on a bond-making cycloaddition reaction.

Autocatalytic self-replicating micelles

249th National Meeting (2015)

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