Atomistic insights on prebiotic phosphorylation of methanol from Schreibersite (Fe2NiP) corrosion: ab-initio computational study

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Main Authors: Pantaleone, Stefano, De Gasperis, Giulia, Corno, Marta, Rimola, Albert, Balucani, Nadia, Ugliengo, Piero
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Pantaleone, Stefano
De Gasperis, Giulia
Corno, Marta
Rimola, Albert
Balucani, Nadia
Ugliengo, Piero
author_facet Pantaleone, Stefano
De Gasperis, Giulia
Corno, Marta
Rimola, Albert
Balucani, Nadia
Ugliengo, Piero
contents The prebiotic history of phosphorus is a matter of debate in the scientific community: its origin, how it landed on Earth, the selective speciation of the phosphate, and its inclusion into the organic matrix are the main unsolved issues. In this regard, Schreibersite ((Fe,Ni)3P), a mineral present in iron meteorites, can play a fundamental role as a carrier of reactive P which, as a result of the weathering processes, produces oxygenated phosphorus compounds, even the phosphate among others. In the present paper, we studied the interaction of methanol (alone and mixed with water) with the Schreibersite surfaces throughout periodic density functional theory calculations at PBE level. The results indicate that Schreibersite promotes the deprotonation of methanol and water both from thermodynamic and kinetic points of view, thus enabling the first step towards corrosion. We have simulated advanced stages of the corrosion process up to the formation of the phosphate and the phosphorylated form of methanol (methyl phosphate), showing that the formation of both products is thermodynamically favoured, as well as its solubilization, which allows other water molecules to proceed with further corrosion of Schreibersite.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2504_02850
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Atomistic insights on prebiotic phosphorylation of methanol from Schreibersite (Fe2NiP) corrosion: ab-initio computational study
Pantaleone, Stefano
De Gasperis, Giulia
Corno, Marta
Rimola, Albert
Balucani, Nadia
Ugliengo, Piero
Chemical Physics
Materials Science
The prebiotic history of phosphorus is a matter of debate in the scientific community: its origin, how it landed on Earth, the selective speciation of the phosphate, and its inclusion into the organic matrix are the main unsolved issues. In this regard, Schreibersite ((Fe,Ni)3P), a mineral present in iron meteorites, can play a fundamental role as a carrier of reactive P which, as a result of the weathering processes, produces oxygenated phosphorus compounds, even the phosphate among others. In the present paper, we studied the interaction of methanol (alone and mixed with water) with the Schreibersite surfaces throughout periodic density functional theory calculations at PBE level. The results indicate that Schreibersite promotes the deprotonation of methanol and water both from thermodynamic and kinetic points of view, thus enabling the first step towards corrosion. We have simulated advanced stages of the corrosion process up to the formation of the phosphate and the phosphorylated form of methanol (methyl phosphate), showing that the formation of both products is thermodynamically favoured, as well as its solubilization, which allows other water molecules to proceed with further corrosion of Schreibersite.
title Atomistic insights on prebiotic phosphorylation of methanol from Schreibersite (Fe2NiP) corrosion: ab-initio computational study
topic Chemical Physics
Materials Science
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.02850