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Formation of amino acids from elemental carbon by contact glow discharge electrolysis

Abstract

THE formation of amino acids in various inferred prebiotic conditions has been widely studied1,2. Recently we reported syntheses of amino acids from aliphatic carboxylic acids and ammonia3,4, and from aliphatic amines and formic acid4,5 by means of contact glow discharge electrolysis (CODE)6. We describe here the formation of amino acids and urea from elemental carbon in the presence of aqueous ammonia by CODE. By this reaction and the following process, the elemental carbon of the elctrode was converted into the bio-organic compounds.

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References

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HARADA, K., SUZUKI, S. Formation of amino acids from elemental carbon by contact glow discharge electrolysis. Nature 266, 275–276 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1038/266275a0

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