Haematite-water system on Mars and its possible role in chemical evolution

Recent findings oil the presence of water oil Mars (Baker, V.R. (2006). Geomorphological evidence for water oil Mars. Elements 2(3), 139-143; DeJong, E. (2006). Geological evidence of the presence of water oil Mars. Abstracts from the 40th Western Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Anaheim, CA, January, 2006, pp. 22-25. American Chemical Society, Washington, DC; McSween, H.Y. Jr. (2006). Water oil Mars. Elements 2(3), 135-137,- Mitrofanov, I.G. (2005). Water explorations on Mars. Priroda 9, 34-43) strongly suggest that there existed a period of chemical evolution eventually leading to life processes on primitive Mars (Kanavarioti, A. & Maneinelli, R.L. (1990). Could organic matter have been preserved oil Mars for 3.5 billion years. Icarus 84, 196-202). Owing to the adverse conditions, it is quite likely that the process of chemical evolution would have been suppressed and Lilly living organisms that formed would have become extinct over time oil Mars. The presence of water as a necessity for the survival of living organisms and the presence of grey haematite, originated under aqueous conditions, have led its to investigate the possible role of haematite in the chemical evolution Oil Mars. Our observations suggest that iron oxide hydroxide (FeOOH), a precursor of haematite, has a much higher binding affinity towards ribose nucleotides (the building blocks of RNA) than the haematite itself. This would mean that during the process of haematite Formation, especially through the probable process of Fe3+ hydrolysis by aqueous ammonia. the precursors of haematite might have played a significant role in the processes leading to chemical evolution and the possible origin of life oil Mars.