The Effects of Pressure on Model Compounds of Meteorite Organic Matter
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Potiszil, C
Montgomery, W
Sephton, MA
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Extraterrestrial organic matter has been widely studied; however, its response to pressure has not. Primitive organic matter bearing meteorites, such as CI and CM carbonaceous chondrites, have experienced variable pressures, up to 10 GPa. To appreciate the effects of these pressures on the organic content of these bodies, the model compounds isophthalic acid, vanillin and vanillic acid were subjected to pressures of up to 11.5 GPa and subsequently decompressed. High resolution synchrotron source Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) was used to determine the effects of different benzene substituents at high pressure on both the vibrational assignments of the benzene core of the molecules and the ability of the aromatic compounds to form intermolecular hydrogen bonds. The presence of additional peaks at high pressure was found to coincide with molecules that contain carboxyl groups, these features are interpreted as C-H---O intermolecular hydrogen bonds. The formation of these hydrogen bonds has implications for the origination of macromolecular organic matter (MOM), owing to the importance of such attractive forces during episodes of cross linking, such as esterification. Pressure-induced hydrogen bond formation is a process by which aromatic MOM precursors could have cross linked to generate the organic polymers found within extraterrestrial bodies today.
Date Issued
2017-08-28
Date Acceptance
2017-08-28
Citation
ACS Earth and Space Chemistry, 2017, 1 (8), pp.475-482
ISSN
2472-3452
Publisher
American Chemical Society
Start Page
475
End Page
482
Journal / Book Title
ACS Earth and Space Chemistry
Volume
1
Issue
8
Copyright Statement
This is an open access article published under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY)
License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium,
provided the author and source are cited.
License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium,
provided the author and source are cited.
License URL
Sponsor
Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
Grant Number
ST/K000551/1
Subjects
Science & Technology
Physical Sciences
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Chemistry
intermolecular hydrogen bonding
high pressure
Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy
meteorite organic matter
carbonaceous chondrite
aromatic
extraterrestrial
POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC-HYDROCARBONS
BENZOIC-ACID DIMERS
CARBONACEOUS CHONDRITES
MURCHISON METEORITE
UV-IRRADIATION
VANILLIC ACID
ICE ANALOGS
SPECTROSCOPY
RAMAN
TEMPERATURE
Publication Status
Published online