Synthesis of prebiotic organics from CO2 by catalysis with meteoritic and volcanic particles

The emergence of prebiotic organics was a mandatory step toward the origin of life. The significance of the exogenous delivery versus the in-situ synthesis from atmospheric gases is still under debate. We experimentally demonstrate that iron − rich meteoritic and volcanic particles activate and catalyze the fixation of CO 2 , yielding the key precursors of life − building blocks. This catalysis is robust and produces selectively aldehydes, alcohols, and hydrocarbons, independent of the redox state of the environment. It is facilitated by common minerals and tolerates a broad range of the early planetary conditions (150 − 300°C, ≳9 bars, wet or dry climate). We find that up to 3 ⋅ 10 8 kg/year of prebiotic organics could have been synthesized by this large-scale process from the CO 2 in the atmosphere on Hadean Earth.