Publication detail

Quantum Dots in Peroxidase-like Chemistry and Formamide-Based Hot Spring Synthesis of Nucleobases

NEJDL, L. PETERA, L. ŠPONER, J. ZEMÁNKOVÁ, K. PAVELICOVÁ, K. KNÍŽEK, A. ADAM, V. VACULOVIČOVÁ, M. IVANEK, O. FERUS, M.

Original Title

Quantum Dots in Peroxidase-like Chemistry and Formamide-Based Hot Spring Synthesis of Nucleobases

Type

journal article in Web of Science

Language

English

Original Abstract

Quantum dots (QDs) are usually seen as artificial semiconductor particles exhibiting optical and electronic properties interesting for nanotechnological applications. However, they may also play a role in prebiotic chemistry. Starting from zinc acetate, cadmium acetate, and mercaptosuccinic acid, we demonstrate the formation of ZnCd QDs upon UV irradiation in prebiotic liquid formamide. We show that ZnCd QDs are able to increase the yield of RNA nucleobase synthesis from formamide up to 300 times, suggesting they might have served as universal catalysts in a primordial milieu. Based on the experimentally observed peroxidase-like activity of ZnCd QDs upon irradiation with visible light, we propose that QDs could be relevant to a broad variety of processes relating to the emergence of terrestrial life.

Keywords

UV-induced nanoparticles; Origin of life; Metal ions; Thiols; Nanoparticle world; Nanozymes; Formamide

Authors

NEJDL, L.; PETERA, L.; ŠPONER, J.; ZEMÁNKOVÁ, K.; PAVELICOVÁ, K.; KNÍŽEK, A.; ADAM, V.; VACULOVIČOVÁ, M.; IVANEK, O.; FERUS, M.

Released

23. 4. 2022

Publisher

Mary Ann Liebert

ISBN

1531-1074

Periodical

ASTROBIOLOGY

Year of study

22

Number

5

State

United States of America

Pages from

1

Pages to

11

Pages count

11

URL

https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2021.0099

Full text in the Digital Library

http://hdl.handle.net/11012/204474

BibTex

@article{BUT177719,
  author="Lukáš {Nejdl} and Lukáš {Petera} and Judit {Šponer} and Kristýna {Zemánková} and Kristýna {Pavelicová} and Antonín {Knížek} and Vojtěch {Adam} and Markéta {Vaculovičová} and Ondřej {Ivanek} and Martin {Ferus}",
  title="Quantum Dots in Peroxidase-like Chemistry and Formamide-Based Hot Spring Synthesis of Nucleobases",
  journal="ASTROBIOLOGY",
  year="2022",
  volume="22",
  number="5",
  pages="1--11",
  doi="10.1089/ast.2021.0099",
  issn="1531-1074",
  url="https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2021.0099"
}