Ab-initio-simulation of amino-acid spontaneously forming from basic chemicals

[DetlefK]

http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2014/09/03/1402894111.full.pdf+html
(I don't know whether you need to be registered to reach the document)

"Miller experiments in atomistic computer simulations", Antonino Marco Saitta and Franz Saijac, to be published



They created a virtual environment and filled it with virtual atoms and molecules (water, ammonia, methane, carbon-monoxide, molecular nitrogen). Then they subjected the volume to an electric field of 2.5 V/nm. The electric field deforms the orbitals and energy-levels of the molecules and serves as a catalyst, enabling chemical reactions.

1. An important step is the formation of formamide H-CO-NH2.

2. The chain of reactions necessary for building Glycine NH2-CH2-COOH (the simplest amino-acid) is more complex than originally thought, but it always contains formamide as an intermediate step.

3. Finding traces of formamide-peaks in the electromagnetic spectrum, of e.g. an extrasolar planet, might be proof of the existence of amino-acids.



Please note that it doesn't need lightning-strikes to deliver the voltage:
* A piezo-crystal can deliver such a strong electric field if compressed really hard. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piezoelectricity
* Some crystals are pyroelectric, though I can't find an example how much voltage they deliver.
* And there's the thermoelectric effect. It needs a lot of heat, but I guess that was abundant in Earth's crust when it was young.