L-Phenylalanine — Wikipedia
Photo voltaic radiation that arrives on the floor of Mars interacts with natural molecules current within the soil. The radiation can degrade or remodel the natural matter and make the seek for biosignatures on the planet’s floor tough. Due to this fact, samples to be analyzed by devices on board Mars probes for molecular content material must be selectively chosen to have the best natural preservation content material.
To help the identification of natural molecules on Mars, the conduct below UV irradiation of two natural compounds, undecanoic acid and L-phenylalanine, within the presence of vermiculite and two chloride salts, NaCl and MgCl, was studied. The degradation of the molecule’s bands was monitored via IR spectroscopy. Our outcomes present that, whereas vermiculite acts as a photoprotective mineral with L-phenylalanine, it catalyzes the photodegradation of undecanoic acid molecules.
Then again, each chloride salts studied decreased the degradation of each natural species performing as photoprotectors. Whereas these outcomes don’t permit us to conclude on the preservation capabilities of vermiculite, they present that locations the place chloride salts are current may very well be good candidates for in situ analytic experiments on Mars on account of their natural preservation capability below UV radiation.
Ophélie McIntosh , Cristina García-Florentino, Teresa Fornaro, Domenica Marabello, Andrew Alberini, Sandra Silijeström, Malgorzata Biczysko, Cyril Szopa, John Brucato
PMID: 38669050 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2023.0088 (Astrobiology)
Undecanoic Acid and L-Phenylalanine in Vermiculite: Detection, Characterization, and UV Degradation Research for Biosignature Identification on Mars, PubMed
Astrobiology
