What is it about?
Our research highlights the pivotal role of simple inorganic ions, such as Ca2+, in shaping the chiral selection and polymerization of α-hydroxy acid (αHA) monomers, such as tartaric acid, which were abundant on early Earth and could have contributed to the assembly of the first protocells!
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Why is it important?
By uncovering a mechanism that links molecular asymmetry to complex polymer assembly, we provide insights into the interplay between environmental factors and the emergence of homochirality, an important aspect of the origins of life. This study is the first to show the plausibility of homochiral origins within polyesters, a significant prebiotic polymer.
Perspectives
This work establishes a framework for exploring how simple inorganic ions could have guided the chemical evolution that transformed simple molecules into the chiral polymers critical for life on early Earth.
Linhao Sun
Kanazawa Daigaku
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Primitive homochiral polyester formation driven by tartaric acid and calcium availability, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, March 2025, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2419554122.
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