γ-Radiation Induced Polymerization of a Chiral Monomer: A New Way to Produce Chiral Amplification |
| |
Authors: | Franco Cataldo John Robert Brucato Yeghis Keheyan |
| |
Affiliation: | (1) Soc. Lupi Chemical Research Institute, Via Casilina 1626/A, 00133 Rome, Italy;(2) INAF–Osservatorio Astronomico di Capodimonte, Naples, Italy;(3) CNR, Istituto per lo studio dei Materiali Nanostrutturati, Department of Chemistry, University “La Sapienza”, P.le Aldo Moro 1, Rome, Italy |
| |
Abstract: | The treatment of the terpene β(−)pinene with γ radiation (at dose level: 150, 300 and 600 kGy) causes its polymerization into a resin and into a dimer. The yield of the resin and of the dimer appears to be linearly dependent to the radiation dose. The structure of the products was studied by FT–IR spectroscopy also in comparison to a reference β(−)pinene resin prepared by cationic polymerization. A highly ordered structure was found in the case of the radiopolymer in comparison to the resin from cationic polymerization. Polarimetric measurements have shown astonishing enhancement in the optical activity of the radiopolymer and radiodimer in comparison to the starting optical activity of the β(−)pinene monomer. Also DSC (differential scanning calorimetry) data supports the unexpected highly ordered structure for the β(−)pinene radiopolymer in comparison to the resin prepared by cationic polymerization. The results have been discussed in terms of amplification of chirality caused by γ radiation and the implications of this fact on the mechanism of chiral amplification on prebiotic molecules. Presented at: National Workshop on Astrobiology: Search for Life in the Solar System, Capri, Italy, 26 to 28 October, 2005. |
| |
Keywords: | β (− )pinene terpene resin radiopolymerization optical activity chirality chiral amplification origin of chirality origin of life |
本文献已被 SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |
|