File Download

There are no files associated with this item.

  Links for fulltext
     (May Require Subscription)
Supplementary

Article: A mineral-based origin of Earth’s initial hydrogen peroxide and molecular oxygen

TitleA mineral-based origin of Earth’s initial hydrogen peroxide and molecular oxygen
Authors
KeywordsH2O2 production
life evolution
oxygen transfer
quartz
surface radicals
Issue Date20-Mar-2023
PublisherNational Academy of Sciences
Citation
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2023, v. 120, n. 13 How to Cite?
Abstract

Terrestrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) may have played a central role in the formation of oxic environments and evolution of early life. The abiotic origin of ROS on the Archean Earth has been heavily studied, and ROS are conventionally thought to have originated from H2O/CO2 dissociation. Here, we report experiments that lead to a mineral-based source of oxygen, rather than water alone. The mechanism involves ROS generation at abraded mineral–water interfaces in various geodynamic processes (e.g., water currents and earthquakes) which are active where free electrons are created via open-shell electrons and point defects, high pressure, water/ice interactions, and combinations of these processes. The experiments reported here show that quartz or silicate minerals may produce reactive oxygen-containing sites (≡SiO•, ≡SiOO•) that initially emerge in cleaving Si–O bonds in silicates and generate ROS during contact with water. Experimental isotope-labeling experiments show that the hydroxylation of the peroxy radical (≡SiOO•) is the predominant pathway for H2O2 generation. This heterogeneous ROS production chemistry allows the transfer of oxygen atoms between water and rocks and alters their isotopic compositions. This process may be pervasive in the natural environment, and mineral-based production of H2O2 and accompanying O2 could occur on Earth and potentially on other terrestrial planets, providing initial oxidants and free oxygen, and be a component in the evolution of life and planetary habitability.


Persistent Identifierhttp://hdl.handle.net/10722/338137
ISSN
2023 Impact Factor: 9.4
2023 SCImago Journal Rankings: 3.737
ISI Accession Number ID

 

DC FieldValueLanguage
dc.contributor.authorHe, Hongping-
dc.contributor.authorWu, Xiao-
dc.contributor.authorZhu, Jianxi-
dc.contributor.authorLin, Mang-
dc.contributor.authorLv, Ying-
dc.contributor.authorXian, Haiyang-
dc.contributor.authorYang, Yiping-
dc.contributor.authorLin, Xiaoju-
dc.contributor.authorLi, Shan-
dc.contributor.authorLi, Yiliang-
dc.contributor.authorTeng, H Henry-
dc.contributor.authorThiemens, Mark H-
dc.date.accessioned2024-03-11T10:26:32Z-
dc.date.available2024-03-11T10:26:32Z-
dc.date.issued2023-03-20-
dc.identifier.citationProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2023, v. 120, n. 13-
dc.identifier.issn0027-8424-
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10722/338137-
dc.description.abstract<p>Terrestrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) may have played a central role in the formation of oxic environments and evolution of early life. The abiotic origin of ROS on the Archean Earth has been heavily studied, and ROS are conventionally thought to have originated from H<sub>2</sub>O/CO<sub>2</sub> dissociation. Here, we report experiments that lead to a mineral-based source of oxygen, rather than water alone. The mechanism involves ROS generation at abraded mineral–water interfaces in various geodynamic processes (e.g., water currents and earthquakes) which are active where free electrons are created via open-shell electrons and point defects, high pressure, water/ice interactions, and combinations of these processes. The experiments reported here show that quartz or silicate minerals may produce reactive oxygen-containing sites (≡SiO•, ≡SiOO•) that initially emerge in cleaving Si–O bonds in silicates and generate ROS during contact with water. Experimental isotope-labeling experiments show that the hydroxylation of the peroxy radical (≡SiOO•) is the predominant pathway for H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> generation. This heterogeneous ROS production chemistry allows the transfer of oxygen atoms between water and rocks and alters their isotopic compositions. This process may be pervasive in the natural environment, and mineral-based production of H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> and accompanying O<sub>2</sub> could occur on Earth and potentially on other terrestrial planets, providing initial oxidants and free oxygen, and be a component in the evolution of life and planetary habitability.</p>-
dc.languageeng-
dc.publisherNational Academy of Sciences-
dc.relation.ispartofProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America-
dc.subjectH2O2 production-
dc.subjectlife evolution-
dc.subjectoxygen transfer-
dc.subjectquartz-
dc.subjectsurface radicals-
dc.titleA mineral-based origin of Earth’s initial hydrogen peroxide and molecular oxygen-
dc.typeArticle-
dc.identifier.doi10.1073/pnas.2221984120-
dc.identifier.scopuseid_2-s2.0-85150672452-
dc.identifier.volume120-
dc.identifier.issue13-
dc.identifier.eissn1091-6490-
dc.identifier.isiWOS:001001368800011-
dc.identifier.issnl0027-8424-

Export via OAI-PMH Interface in XML Formats


OR


Export to Other Non-XML Formats