Plasma synthesis method of amino acids and nucleobases co-generated

Abstract

The application discloses a method for synthesizing amino acids and nucleobases by plasma, wherein a predetermined proportion of ammonia and carbon dioxide are introduced into a plasma bubble discharge reactor containing ultrapure water; and discharge reaction is carried out in the plasma bubble discharge reactor to synchronously generate amino acids and nucleobases. The method for synthesizing amino acids and nucleobases by plasma simulates a scenario that natural lightning strikes the sea surface to generate bubbles under an early earth environment, serves as the first step of chemical origin of life, and provides a new path for the origin of biomolecules under non-biological conditions.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of the simultaneous synthesis of amino acids and nucleobases under non-biological conditions, and particularly relates to a plasma synthesis method for co-producing amino acids and nucleobases. BACKGROUND

[0002] The synthesis of biomolecules under prebiotic conditions is a key problem in revealing the origin of life. The appearance of the first batch of biomolecules is crucial to the origin and evolution of life. Proteins and nucleic acids, as important components of modern life, not only play a role in regulating metabolism, providing energy and synthesizing proteins in life activities, but also play an extremely important role in the process of life origin and evolution, especially for the appearance of the first batch of primitive cells. In particular, the basic building blocks of amino acids and nucleobases are the most basic components of life, and the simultaneous prebiotic synthesis of the above key compounds is one of the most challenging tasks related to the appearance of early Earth life. Since the Miller experiment, decades of work have studied their origin from various conditions and energy sources, such as deep-sea hydrothermal systems, dry-wet cycles, ice-cold environments, mechanical chemistry, and mineral surfaces, but this is still an open question.

[0003] In addition, the widely accepted RNA world hypothesis suggests that before the current biochemistry based on protein enzymes and DNA, RNA was used by the original life of the Earth to perform catalytic and information functions. However, the spontaneous generation of RNA under non-biological conditions is largely questionable, and the polymer that performs the function may be a precursor of RNA, such as nucleobases. In addition, the appearance of life cannot be the evolution of a single substance, and the interaction between molecules is a necessary condition for the origin of life. Polypeptides in the primitive Earth are believed to be conducive to establishing a molecular co-evolution relationship with nucleic acids. Therefore, it is necessary to explore a way to simultaneously produce amino acids and nucleic acids or their components.

[0004] The above information disclosed in the background section is only for the purpose of enhancing the understanding of the background of the present application, and therefore can contain information that is not prior art known to those of ordinary skill in the art. SUMMARY

[0005] The present application provides a plasma synthesis method for co-producing amino acids and nucleobases. The plasma generated by high-voltage discharge has the characteristics of high electron temperature and high reactivity, can produce a large number of high-energy electrons and highly active free radicals, break the chemical bonds between inorganic molecules through collision or oxidation, and then rearrange and combine to generate organic molecules. Through the plasma synthesis path, an environment is provided for the accumulation and interaction of biomolecules, which is of great significance to the origin and evolution of life.

[0006] A plasma synthesis method for co-producing amino acids and nucleobases comprises:

[0007] a predetermined proportion of ammonia gas and carbon dioxide is introduced into the plasma bubble discharge reactor containing ultrapure water;

[0008] amino acids and nucleobases are simultaneously produced in the plasma bubble discharge reactor.

[0009] The plasma bubble discharge reactor includes a gas inlet pipe for introducing the gas, and the gas inlet pipe includes a tee joint for mixing a predetermined proportion of ammonia gas and carbon dioxide to form a mixed gas.

[0010] The plasma bubble discharge reactor is connected to a negative polarity direct current power supply to provide electrical energy, and a current limiting resistor is used to prevent current overload.

[0011] The voltage of the plasma bubble discharge reactor is adjusted to 5 kV, and the current is about 45 mA, and the discharge is maintained for 15 minutes.

[0012] The electrode of the plasma bubble discharge reactor is a stainless steel electrode, the electrode is sleeved with a quartz tube, a clamping ring for fixing the electrode is clamped between the quartz tube and the electrode, and the quartz tube has a plurality of micron-sized holes at the bottom for generating bubbles.

[0013] The diameter of the micron-sized holes is 200 microns, the size of the bubbles is reduced to increase the yield of amino acids and nucleobases, and the clamping ring is a plastic clamping ring.

[0014] The yield of amino acids and nucleobases is adjusted by controlling the gas flow rate.

[0015] The predetermined proportion is 1:1, the purity of NH3 is at least 99.99%, and the purity of CO2 is at least 99.99%.

[0016] A plasma bubble discharge reactor for synthesizing amino acids and nucleobases includes,

[0017] The plasma bubble discharge reactor contains ultrapure water, and the plasma bubble discharge reactor has electrodes for discharge reaction,

[0018] A gas inlet pipe is connected to the plasma bubble discharge reactor to introduce a predetermined proportion of ammonia gas and carbon dioxide into the plasma bubble discharge reactor.

[0019] A negative direct current power supply electrically connected to the electrode to produce amino acids and nucleobases synchronously in the plasma bubble discharge reactor.

[0020] The electrode is sleeved with a quartz tube, the quartz tube is clamped with a clamping ring for fixing the electrode between the quartz tube and the electrode, and the bottom of the quartz tube is provided with a plurality of micron-sized holes for generating bubbles.

[0021] The diameter of the micron-sized holes is 200 microns.

[0022] Compared with the prior art, the present application has the following advantages: the reaction time is shorter, and more amino acids and nucleobases can be produced; the prior art can only produce one of amino acids or nucleobases, while the present application can produce them synchronously, which is beneficial to providing conditions for the interaction between molecules in the process of the origin of life chemistry. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0023] Various other advantages and benefits of the present application will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, upon reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment. The accompanying drawings are included to provide a better understanding of the preferred embodiment and are not to be considered limitations of the present application. It should be readily understood that the drawings are merely included to illustrate the embodiments and that other drawings can be derived from these drawings without paid creative labor by those of ordinary skill in the art. Moreover, the same reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to represent the same components.

[0024] In the drawings:

[0025] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the plasma bubble reactor of the present application;

[0026] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the relative yield of amino acids and nucleobases produced by the embodiment of the present application.

[0027] The present application will be further explained in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and examples. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] The specific embodiments of the present application will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Although specific embodiments of the present application are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the present application can be implemented in various forms and should not be limited by the embodiments described herein. On the contrary, these embodiments are provided to enable a more thorough understanding of the present application and to fully convey the scope of the present application to those skilled in the art.

[0029] It should be noted that certain terms are used in the specification and claims to refer to specific components. Those skilled in the art will understand that different terms may be used to refer to the same component. This specification and claims do not distinguish components based on differences in terminology, but rather on differences in function. The terms "comprising" or "including" used throughout the specification and claims are open-ended and should be interpreted as "comprising but not limited to." The following descriptions are preferred embodiments for carrying out the invention; however, these descriptions are for the purpose of understanding the general principles of the specification and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The scope of protection of this invention is determined by the appended claims.

[0030] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of the present invention, further explanations and descriptions will be provided below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. The accompanying drawings do not constitute a limitation on the embodiments of the present invention.

[0031] like Figures 1-2 As shown, the plasma synthesis method for co-generating amino acids and nucleobases includes the following steps:

[0032] A predetermined ratio of ammonia and carbon dioxide is introduced into a plasma bubble discharge reactor containing ultrapure water.

[0033] Amino acids and nucleobases are simultaneously generated during the discharge reaction in the plasma bubble discharge reactor.

[0034] In the plasma synthesis method for co-generating amino acids and nucleobases, the plasma bubble discharge reactor includes a gas inlet pipe, which includes a three-way valve for mixing ammonia and carbon dioxide in a predetermined ratio to form a mixed gas.

[0035] In the plasma synthesis method for co-generating amino acids and nucleobases, the plasma bubble discharge reactor is connected to a negative polarity DC power supply to provide electrical energy, and a current-limiting resistor is used to prevent current overload.

[0036] In the plasma synthesis method for co-generating amino acids and nucleobases, the voltage of the plasma bubble discharge reactor is adjusted to 5 kV, the current is about 45 mA, and the discharge is continued for 15 minutes.

[0037] In the plasma synthesis method for co-generating amino acids and nucleobases, the electrodes of the plasma bubble discharge reactor are made of stainless steel, and the electrodes are fitted with quartz tubes. A retaining ring for fixing the electrodes is inserted between the quartz tube and the electrodes. The bottom of the quartz tube has multiple micron-sized pores for generating bubbles.

[0038] In the plasma synthesis method for co-generating amino acids and nucleobases, the diameter of the micron-sized pores is 200 micrometers.

[0039] The clasp is a plastic clasp.

[0040] The plasma synthesis method for co-producing amino acids and nucleobases reduces the size of the gas bubbles to increase the yield of amino acids and nucleobases.

[0041] The plasma synthesis method for co-producing amino acids and nucleobases controls the flow rate of the gas to adjust the yield of amino acids and nucleobases.

[0042] The plasma synthesis method for co-producing amino acids and nucleobases has a predetermined ratio of 1:1, and the purity of NH3 is at least 99.99% and the purity of CO2 is at least 99.99%.

[0043] In one embodiment, NH3 and CO2 are reacted through a plasma bubble reactor, powered by a negative polarity direct current power supply, and discharged to ultrapure water for 15 minutes. Further, 11 kinds of amino acids and 3 kinds of nucleobases are simultaneously produced. When reactions are carried out with different gas flow rates, the yields of amino acids and nucleobases are different, and within a certain range, as the flow rate increases, the bubble size is found to increase by using a high-speed camera, and the yield of amino acids and nucleobases decreases. Specifically, taking glycine as an example, its yield decreases with the increase of flow rate within the flow rate range of 40-300 mL / min, and reaches the maximum of 70.2 μM at 40 mL / min, while the yield of glycine decreases to 12.3 μM when the flow rate increases to 300 mL / min. In this process, the size of the bubble becomes larger and larger, and the diameter gradually increases from 80 µm to 280 µm.

[0044] In one embodiment, the plasma bubble reactor uses a negative voltage direct current power supply to simulate lightning, and NH3 (99.99%) and CO2 (99.99%) are used in this system. There are multiple micron holes around the bottom of the discharge electrode, with a micron hole diameter of 200 µm, which allows the plasma bubble to enter the aqueous solution. Based on the discharge reaction generated at the gas-liquid interface in the plasma bubble, up to 11 kinds of amino acids and 3 kinds of nucleobases can be produced simultaneously, indicating high reaction efficiency.

[0045] In one embodiment, the plasma synthesis method for co-producing amino acids and nucleobases comprises,

[0046] 1. Mix 99.99% pure ammonia and 99.99% pure carbon dioxide through a three-way valve and pass them into a bubble reactor, as shown in Figure 1 , and continue to pass for 5 minutes to exclude the interference of other gases in the reactor.

[0047] 2. The solution in the reactor is ultrapure water.

[0048] 3. The power is provided by a negative direct current power supply, and a current-limiting resistor is used to ensure the safety of the circuit and prevent current overload. The voltage is adjusted to 5 KV at the beginning of the experiment, and the current is about 45 mA. The discharge lasts for 15 minutes.

[0049] 4. At the end of the experiment, the solution in the reactor is collected, and after freeze-drying at -80°C, the liquid is dissolved in 1 mL of ultrapure water, and rapid ultra-high resolution mass spectrometry is used for analysis.

[0050] The implementation results are summarized in the following table:

[0051] Table 1: Amino acids and nucleobases produced after discharge are summarized, and the corresponding mass spectrometry measurement error meets international standards

[0052]

[0053] An amino acid and nucleobase co-generated plasma synthesis device for implementing an amino acid and nucleobase co-generated plasma synthesis method comprises,

[0054] A plasma bubble discharge reactor containing ultrapure water, the plasma bubble discharge reactor having an electrode for discharge reaction,

[0055] A gas guide tube connected to the plasma bubble discharge reactor to pass a predetermined proportion of ammonia and carbon dioxide into the plasma bubble discharge reactor;

[0056] A negative direct current power supply electrically connected to the electrode to generate amino acids and nucleobases synchronously in the plasma bubble discharge reactor.

[0057] In a preferred embodiment of the plasma synthesis device, the electrode is sleeved with a quartz tube, the quartz tube and the electrode are clamped with a clamping ring for fixing the electrode, and the bottom of the quartz tube has a plurality of micron-sized holes for generating bubbles.

[0058] In a preferred embodiment of the plasma synthesis device, the diameter of the micron-sized holes is 200 microns.

[0059] Although the embodiments of the present application are described above in combination with the drawings, the present application is not limited to the above specific embodiments and application fields, and the above specific embodiments are only illustrative and guiding, but not limiting. Those skilled in the art can make many forms under the guidance of this specification and without departing from the scope protected by the claims of the present application, which are all included in the protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A method for plasma synthesis of amino acids and nucleobases, characterized by, The method comprises the following steps: A predetermined proportion of ammonia and carbon dioxide is introduced into a plasma bubble discharge reactor containing ultrapure water, the plasma bubble discharge reactor comprises a gas inlet pipe for introducing the gas, the gas inlet pipe comprises a tee joint for mixing the predetermined proportion of ammonia and carbon dioxide to form a mixed gas, the plasma bubble discharge reactor is connected to a negative direct current power supply to provide electric energy, and a current limiting resistor is used to prevent current overload, the electrode of the plasma bubble discharge reactor is made of stainless steel, the electrode is sleeved with a quartz tube, a clamping ring for fixing the electrode is clamped between the quartz tube and the electrode, and the quartz tube has a plurality of micron-sized holes at the bottom for generating bubbles; Amino acids and nucleobases are synchronously generated by performing a discharge reaction in the plasma bubble discharge reactor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the amino acid and nucleobase co-produced plasma synthesis method is characterized by, The voltage of the plasma bubble discharge reactor is adjusted to 5 kV, the current is about 45 mA, and the discharge is continuously performed for 15 minutes.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the amino acid and nucleobase co-produced plasma synthesis method is characterized by, The diameter of the micron-sized holes is 200 microns, the size of the bubbles is reduced to improve the yield of the amino acids and the nucleobases, and the clamping ring is made of plastic.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the amino acid and nucleobase co-produced plasma synthesis method is characterized by, The yield of the amino acids and the nucleobases is adjusted by controlling the gas flow rate.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the amino acid and nucleobase co-produced plasma synthesis method is characterized by, The predetermined proportion is 1:1, the purity of NH3 is at least 99.99%, and the purity of CO2 is at least 99.99%.

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