Formic acid: Possible prebiotic reducing agent under photochemical conditions

The experiments were conducted to explore the possibility that formic acid could serve as a reducing agent for carbonyl compounds on the prebiotic earth, since it has been shown that formic acid is a product of numerous chemical evolution experiments. The photoreduction of solutions 0.33 M in acetaldehyde or acetone at 2537 Å in 0.167 M formic acid, sodium formate, or both formic acid and sodium formate in a nitrogen atmosphere has been conducted. The formation of the corresponding reduction product, ethanol or isopropyl alcohol, and the disappearance of the reactant were followed as a function of irradiation time by using gas chromatography. Product confirmation was done by NMR analysis and mass spectrometry.