During terrestrial differentiation, the relatively small amount of phosphorus that migrated to the lithosphere was incorporated into igneous rock, predominantly in the form of basic calcium orthophosphate (Ca10(PO4)6(OH,F,Cl)2, apatite). Yet, the highly insoluble nature of calcium apatite presents a significant problem to those contemplating the origin of life given the foundational role of phosphate (PO4 3-) in extant biology and the apparent requirement for PO4 3- as a catalyst, buffer and reagent in prebiotic chemistry. Reduced meteorites such as enstatite chondrites are highly enriched in phosphide minerals, and upon reaction with water these minerals can release phosphorus species of various oxidation states. Here, we demonstrate how reduced phosphorus species can be fully oxidized to PO4 3- simply by the action of ultraviolet light on H2S/HS-. We used low pressure Hg lamps to simulate UV output from the young Sun and 31P NMR spectroscopy to monitor the progress of reactions. Our experimental findings provide a cosmochemically and geochemically plausible means for supply of PO4 3- that was widely available to prebiotic chemistry and nascent life on early Earth, and potentially on other planets.

中文翻译：

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陨石风化后通过光地球化学向早期地球供应磷酸盐。

在陆地分化过程中，迁移到岩石圈的相对少量的磷被结合到火成岩中，主要以碱性正磷酸钙（Ca10（PO4）6（OH，F，Cl）2，磷灰石）的形式。然而，鉴于磷酸盐 (PO4 3-) 在现存生物学中的基础性作用以及对 PO4 3- 作为催化剂、缓冲剂和试剂的明显需求，磷灰石钙的高度不溶性对那些考虑生命起源的人提出了一个重大问题。益生元化学。还原陨石（如顽火辉石球粒陨石）富含磷化物矿物质，这些矿物质与水反应后会释放出各种氧化态的磷物质。这里，我们演示了如何通过紫外光对 H2S/HS- 的作用将还原的磷物种完全氧化为 PO4 3-。我们使用低压汞灯来模拟来自年轻太阳的紫外线输出，并使用 31P NMR 光谱来监测反应进程。我们的实验结果为提供 PO4 3- 提供了一种宇宙化学和地球化学似是而非的方法，该方法广泛用于早期地球上的前生命化学和新生生命，并可能在其他行星上。