The Stability of Biomolecules in Hydrothermal Fluids

Hydrothermal fluids play a major role in the transport and redistribution of inorganic and organic compounds in the Earth’s crust. The unique physico-chemical properties of water at these conditions have demonstrated to facilitate a wide range of novel chemical synthesis and biomass conversion processes, but have also attracted much attention because organic synthesis reactions at elevated temperatures may have contributed towards the origin of life. This short review focuses on the high-temperature stability of aqueous biomolecules. In particular, a review of individual bond breaking reactions in amino acids, nucleosides and nucleotides is presented and corresponding reactions rates and their temperature- and pH-dependence are reported and discussed.