Mineral-assisted pathways in prebiotic synthesis: Photoelectrochemical reduction of carbon(+IV) by manganese sulfide

Photoelectrochemistry on mineral surfaces has the potential to play a central role in the prebiotic syntheses of building blocks for biomolecules. In this study, photoreduction of C(+IV) as bicarbonate is used as a probe to investigate the photoelectrochemical properties of alabandite (MnS) colloidal particles. Our experimental results show that photoreduction occurs and that formate is the initial photoproduct. A quantum efficiency of 4.2% is obtained (pH = 7.5). The quantum efficiency is temperature-independent from 298 to 328 K. In addition to formate, longer chain carbon products are also produced. Ion chromatography shows the presence of acetate and propionate. Infrared spectroscopy and mass spectrometry indicate the formation of longer chain organic molecules that contain oxygenated functional groups. Our results suggest that some prebiotic syntheses could have occurred via photoelectrochemical reactions on semiconducting minerals.