Formamide-based syntheses and degradations of nucleic acids precursors in prebiotic conditions

The synthesis of prebiotic molecules is a major problem in chemical evolution as well as in any origin-of-life theory. We discuss the role of formamide, a product of hydrolysis of hydrogen cyanide (HCN), as precursor of relevant components of nucleic acids in prebiotic conditions and describe the efficient synthesis of purine, adenine, cytosine, thymine, and 5-hydroxymethyluracil. The remarkable formation of some purine acyclonucleosides is also reported, providing a possible solution to the problem of the elusive origin of nucleosides in prebiotic conditions. The role of catalysts as CaCO3, silica, alumina, TiO2 and others in enhancing and variegating the yields of these compounds is described. In addition, formamide acts as a selective agent in the degradation of bases, nucleosides and DNA oligomers. Taken together, these observations reveal a formamide-based synthesis/degradation cycle whose properties provide an equilibration mechanism for the pool of prebiotic precursors.