Kaschke M, Russell M J, Cole W J
Department of Geology and Applied Geology, University of Glasgow, Scotland.
Orig Life Evol Biosph. 1994 Feb;24(1):43-56. doi: 10.1007/BF01582038.
The FeS/FeS, redox system, whose importance is stressed in recent theories on the origin of life, has been tested experimentally. In this paper it is demonstrated by thermodynamical calculations as well as by experiments, that cyclohexanone, which served as model compound, can be reduced by the aforementioned redox system. Reactions were carried out in methanol and DMF at 25 degrees C and at 100 degrees C. Besides products that were synthesised in both solvents, like cyclohexanethiol and dicyclohexydisulphide, special compounds were obtained in methanol and in DMF, because of the involvement of the respective solvent in the reaction. Yields of reduced compounds were lower in methanol owing to compound that hindered the reduction (cyclohexylketal). With increasing temperature and duration the amount of reduced compounds increased. Further experiments have shown that 1,1-cyclohexanedithiol is likely to be a necessary intermediate for the reduced products. The experiments give evidence to the 'pyrite hypothesis', which postulates that the FeS/FeS2, redox system was of importance for the origin of life.
FeS/FeS₂氧化还原体系在最近有关生命起源的理论中被强调了其重要性，并且已经通过实验进行了测试。本文通过热力学计算以及实验证明，作为模型化合物的环己酮可以被上述氧化还原体系还原。反应在甲醇和N,N -二甲基甲酰胺（DMF）中于25℃和100℃下进行。除了在两种溶剂中都合成的产物，如环己硫醇和二环己基二硫化物外，由于各自溶剂参与反应，在甲醇和DMF中还获得了特殊的化合物。由于存在阻碍还原的化合物（环己基缩酮），甲醇中还原化合物的产率较低。随着温度升高和反应时间延长，还原化合物的量增加。进一步的实验表明，1,1 -环己二硫醇可能是还原产物的必要中间体。这些实验为“黄铁矿假说”提供了证据，该假说假定FeS/FeS₂氧化还原体系对生命起源具有重要意义。
