Current Organic Chemistry - Volume 17, Issue 16, 2013

This contribution gives a brief overview of the Dynamic Kinetic Stability (DKS) concept. The concept appears to offer new insights into the central questions of biology – what is life, how it emerged, how would one make it, as well as explaining in basic physicochemical terms the truly remarkable characteristics that life so clearly manifests.

Contemporary theories of the origin of life divide along the same conceptual lines as contemporary accounts of the nature of life, with small molecule theories (e.g., Wachtershauser’s iron pyrite world) corresponding to metabolic theories/definitions of life and genes-first theories (currently dominated by the RNA world) corresponding to evolutionary (e.g., chemical Darwinian) theories/ definitions of life. I discuss so Read More

Earth’s atmospheric composition at the time of the origin of life is not known, but it has often been suggested that chemical transformation of reactive species in the atmosphere was a significant source of prebiotic organic molecules. Experimental and theoretical studies over the past half century have shown that atmospheric synthesis can yield molecules such as amino acids and nucleobases, but these processes are very Read More

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 Read More

Disequilibrium conditions are central for understanding the origin of life. Taking energetic chemicals at high concentrations to synthesize more complex molecules will not be enough to emulate and understand early molecular evolution. To comprehend the dynamic development of a molecular Darwinian system, the knowledge of energy flows according to the second law of thermodynamics is crucial. We review exper Read More

The possible role of Ca2+ as a promoter of the major steps in the evolution of early life is reviewed. The existing biological knowledge about the role of calcium in living systems is summarized and compared with the major bio-evolutionary events that occurred during the first three billion years of Earth’s history. It is proposed that secular changes in Ca2+ concentration in the marine realm during the Precambrian were the Read More

Several laboratories are pursuing the synthesis of cellular systems from different directions, including those that begin with simple chemicals to those that exploit existing cells. The methods that begin with nonliving components tend to focus on mimicking specific features of life, such as genomic replication, protein synthesis, sensory systems, and compartment formation, growth, and division. Conversely, the more preval Read More

Quantum tunnelling is a phenomenon which becomes relevant at the nanoscale and below. It is a paradox from the classical point of view as it enables elementary particles and atoms to permeate an energetic barrier without the need for sufficient energy to overcome it. Tunnelling might seem to be an exotic process only important for special physical effects and applications such as the Tunnel Diode, Scanning Tunnelling Read More

Photochromic organic dyes can be widely used in materials for optically rewritable data storage, photonic switches, memories, sensors, or actuators. In recent years photochromic materials based on nanoparticles became particularly focused, since they can be dispersed in colloidal aqueous suspensions or incorporated in thin films, avoiding problems of light scattering or shallow light penetration in bulk materials. Spi Read More

Ultrasound irradiation differs from conventional energy sources (such as heat, light, or ionizing radiation) in time, pressure, and energy per molecule. The use of ultrasound waves in organic synthesis has attracted an increasing interest over the last years. Use of ultrasound waves as alternative source of energy is of great interest in the area of green and pharmaceutical chemistry. This review will focus on the uses of Read More