Earth’s atmospheric composition at the time of the origin of life is not known, but it has often been suggested that chemical transformation of reactive species in the atmosphere was a significant source of prebiotic organic molecules. Experimental and theoretical studies over the past half century have shown that atmospheric synthesis can yield molecules such as amino acids and nucleobases, but these processes are very sensitive to gas composition and energy source. Abiotic synthesis of organic molecules is more productive in reduced atmospheres, yet the primitive Earth may not have been as reducing as earlier workers assumed, and recent research has reflected this shift in thinking. This work provides a survey of the range of chemical products that can be produced given a set of atmospheric conditions, with a particular focus on recent reports. Intertwined with the discussion of atmospheric synthesis is the consideration of an organic haze layer, which has been suggested as a possible ultraviolet shield on the anoxic early Earth. Since such a haze layer – if formed – would serve as a reservoir for organic molecules, the chemical composition of the aerosol should be closely examined. The results highlighted here show that a variety of products can be formed in mildly reducing or even neutral atmospheres, demonstrating that contributions of atmospheric synthesis to the organic inventory on early Earth should not be discounted. This review intends to bridge current knowledge of the range of possible atmospheric conditions in the prebiotic environment and pathways for synthesis under such conditions by examining the possible products of organic chemistry in the early atmosphere.

中文翻译：

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大气益生元化学和有机雾霾

生命起源时地球的大气成分尚不清楚，但人们经常认为，大气中活性物质的化学转化是生命起源前有机分子的重要来源。过去半个世纪的实验和理论研究表明，大气合成可以产生氨基酸和核碱基等分子，但这些过程对气体成分和能源非常敏感。有机分子的非生物合成在大气减少的情况下效率更高，但原始地球可能并不像早期研究人员假设的那样减少，最近的研究反映了这种思维的转变。这项工作对在一组大气条件下可以生产的化学产品的范围进行了调查，特别关注最近的报告。与大气合成的讨论交织在一起的是对有机薄雾层的考虑，有机薄雾层被认为是缺氧早期地球上可能的紫外线屏蔽层。由于这样的雾层（如果形成）将成为有机分子的储存库，因此应仔细检查气溶胶的化学成分。这里强调的结果表明，在轻度还原甚至中性大气中可以形成多种产物，这表明大气合成对早期地球有机库存的贡献不应被低估。本综述旨在通过检查早期大气中有机化学的可能产物，弥合当前对生命起源前环境中可能的大气条件范围和在这种条件下的合成途径的了解。