While phosphorus is one of the most abundant elements in life, there is no consensus about how it became part of biomolecules. Phosphate minerals such as hydroxyapatite are believed to have been abundant on the early Earth. However, the low solubility and reactivity of phosphate in water make these minerals unlikely candidates as the starting reagent for biopolymers and coenzymes. In contrast, reduced phosphorus minerals such as metal phosphites (e.g., MgHPO3, CaHPO3 and FeHPO3) have significantly higher solubility in water. Additionally, they may have been more widely available than geologists initially believed, and therefore, they may have played a vital role in prebiotic chemistry. We have synthesized metal phosphites and characterized them using a variety of analytic methods including infrared (FTIR) and Raman vibrational spectroscopy, powder x-ray diffraction (XRD), nuclear magnetic resonance (31P NMR) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). We have also investigated the stability of these metal phosphites with respect to temperature and oxidation. Our measurements indicate that metal phosphite stability depends on both temperature and the specific cation they contain. Implications of the availability of metal phosphites on prebiotic chemistry will also be discussed.

Synthesis, characterization, and potential prebiotic chemistry of metal phosphites

2019 Spring National Meeting

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