Meteorite-common amino acid induces clay exfoliation and abiotic compartment formation
Abstract Clay surfaces have been invoked as crucial components in the origin of life processes due to their ability to concentrate organics and abiotically catalyse (bio)polymer production. Still, the importance of the mutual nature of organo-clay interactions and the effects of off-world organics i...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Communications Earth & Environment |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02417-8 |
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| author | Orr Rose Bezaly Annemieke Petrignani Helen E. King |
| author_facet | Orr Rose Bezaly Annemieke Petrignani Helen E. King |
| author_sort | Orr Rose Bezaly |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Clay surfaces have been invoked as crucial components in the origin of life processes due to their ability to concentrate organics and abiotically catalyse (bio)polymer production. Still, the importance of the mutual nature of organo-clay interactions and the effects of off-world organics in this interplay is a largely unexplored realm. We demonstrate a previously unrecognised phenomenon that occurs upon the transient interaction of montmorillonite clay with the meteorite-common, non-proteinogenic γ-aminobutyric acid. Attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction show that an irreversible structural change is induced by the off-world species. A distinct partial clay exfoliation is correlated with the formation of nanoscale cavities in the mid-layers of the original structure, observable using transmission electron microscopy. This work demonstrates that an exogenous amino acid can alter clay and introduce 3D confined nano-environments, which may facilitate compartmentalisation in prebiotic times. Our findings also highlight new sustainable nanocomposite synthesis routes applicable in environmental/materials sciences. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8686cb8a2f8046638c0f558d4b54d821 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2662-4435 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Communications Earth & Environment |
| spelling | doaj-art-8686cb8a2f8046638c0f558d4b54d8212025-08-20T03:10:41ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Earth & Environment2662-44352025-06-01611710.1038/s43247-025-02417-8Meteorite-common amino acid induces clay exfoliation and abiotic compartment formationOrr Rose Bezaly0Annemieke Petrignani1Helen E. King2Molecular Photonics, Van ’t Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of AmsterdamMolecular Photonics, Van ’t Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of AmsterdamDepartment of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht UniversityAbstract Clay surfaces have been invoked as crucial components in the origin of life processes due to their ability to concentrate organics and abiotically catalyse (bio)polymer production. Still, the importance of the mutual nature of organo-clay interactions and the effects of off-world organics in this interplay is a largely unexplored realm. We demonstrate a previously unrecognised phenomenon that occurs upon the transient interaction of montmorillonite clay with the meteorite-common, non-proteinogenic γ-aminobutyric acid. Attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction show that an irreversible structural change is induced by the off-world species. A distinct partial clay exfoliation is correlated with the formation of nanoscale cavities in the mid-layers of the original structure, observable using transmission electron microscopy. This work demonstrates that an exogenous amino acid can alter clay and introduce 3D confined nano-environments, which may facilitate compartmentalisation in prebiotic times. Our findings also highlight new sustainable nanocomposite synthesis routes applicable in environmental/materials sciences.https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02417-8 |
| spellingShingle | Orr Rose Bezaly Annemieke Petrignani Helen E. King Meteorite-common amino acid induces clay exfoliation and abiotic compartment formation Communications Earth & Environment |
| title | Meteorite-common amino acid induces clay exfoliation and abiotic compartment formation |
| title_full | Meteorite-common amino acid induces clay exfoliation and abiotic compartment formation |
| title_fullStr | Meteorite-common amino acid induces clay exfoliation and abiotic compartment formation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Meteorite-common amino acid induces clay exfoliation and abiotic compartment formation |
| title_short | Meteorite-common amino acid induces clay exfoliation and abiotic compartment formation |
| title_sort | meteorite common amino acid induces clay exfoliation and abiotic compartment formation |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02417-8 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT orrrosebezaly meteoritecommonaminoacidinducesclayexfoliationandabioticcompartmentformation AT annemiekepetrignani meteoritecommonaminoacidinducesclayexfoliationandabioticcompartmentformation AT heleneking meteoritecommonaminoacidinducesclayexfoliationandabioticcompartmentformation |