1989 Volume 38 Issue 11 Pages 608-612
Spark discharges in simulated primitive earth atmospheres were carried out, and sugars in the resulting products were analyzed. Pentoses and hexoses were analyzed by GC with a flame thermionic detector (FTD or NPD) and by GC/MS following aldononirile acetate derivatization: The sub-nanogram of each sugar was detected by these methods. When a mixture of methane, nitrogen and water was discharged, no free sugars could be found by GC/MS, though reducing sugars were detected by the Park-Johnson method. When a mixture of methane and water was discharged over a bicarbonate solution with kaolinite, trace amounts of pentoses and hexoses were detected : The total yield of the detected sugars was less than 1 ppm on a carbon basis. The present results suggest that nucleosides may have been produced from pre-formed bases and precursors of sugars, not from free sugars.
