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- Publications
- Influence
Studies in prebiotic synthesis. II. Synthesis of purine precursors and amino acids from aqueous hydrogen cyanide.
- R. Sánchez, J. Ferris, L. Orgel
- Chemistry, Medicine
- Journal of molecular biology
- 14 December 1967
There is much evidence suggesting that hydrogen cyanide was important in prebiotic synthesis. Here we discuss the relevant aqueous solution chemistry, since we believe it to be pertinent to prebiotic… Expand
Synthesis of long prebiotic oligomers on mineral surfaces
MOST theories of the origin of biological organization assume that polymers with lengths in the range of 30–60 monomers are needed to make a genetic system viable1. But it has not proved possible to… Expand
Conditions for Purine Synthesis: Did Prebiotic Synthesis Occur at Low Temperatures?
- R. Sánchez, J. Ferris, L. Orgel
- Chemistry, Medicine
- Science
- 1 July 1966
The rate of polymerization of hydrogen cyanide to aminomalononitrile and the tetramer, diaminomalonodinitrile, is quadratic in the total cyanide concentration. Since the reactions form part of a… Expand
HCN: A plausible source of purines, pyrimidines and amino acids on the primitive earth
- J. Ferris, P. Joshi, E. Edelson, J. Lawless
- Biology, Medicine
- Journal of Molecular Evolution
- 6 October 1978
SummaryDilute (0.1M) solutions of HCN condense to oligomers at pH 9.2. Hydrolysis of these oligomers yields 4,5-dihydroxypyrimidine, orotic acid, 5-hydroxyuracil, adenine,… Expand
HCN and chemical evolution: the possible role of cyano compounds in prebiotic synthesis.
Synthese et distribution de HCN. Autocondensation de HCN: obtention de nitriles ou de liants oligomeres. Role possible des composes cyano comme agents de condensation
Montmorillonite-catalysed formation of RNA oligomers: the possible role of catalysis in the origins of life
- J. Ferris
- Chemistry, Medicine
- Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B…
- 29 October 2006
Large deposits of montmorillonite are present on the Earth today and it is believed to have been present at the time of the origin of life and has recently been detected on Mars. It is formed by… Expand
Titan haze: structure and properties of cyanoacetylene and cyanoacetylene-acetylene photopolymers.
- D. W. Clarke, J. Ferris
- Materials Science, Medicine
- Icarus
- 1 May 1997
The structure and morphological properties of polymers produced photochemically from the UV irradiation of cyanoacetylene and cyanoacetylene mixtures have been examined to evaluate their possible… Expand
The photochemical formation of a titan haze analog. Structural analysis by x-ray photoelectron and infrared spectroscopy
- B. N. Tran, J. Ferris, J. J. Chera
- Materials Science
- 1 March 2003
The photochemical flow reactor (D.W. Clarke et al., 2000, Icarus 147, 282–291) has been modified to minimize the incorporation of oxygen and other impurities in the photoproducts. A mixture of gases… Expand
Chemical Markers of Prebiotic Chemistry in Hydrothermal Systems
- J. Ferris
- Chemistry
- 1992
The goal of this chapter is to suggest some organic compounds which may be indicative of prebiotic processes in hydrothermal systems or laboratory simulations of them. While the exact processes which… Expand