Iron sulfides, common in ancient hydrothermal vents, may have played a crucial role in creating life on Earth. These minerals could have helped form the basic molecules needed for life, new research from the Chinese Academy of Sciences shows.
The researchers involved with the new study say that iron sulfides in prehistoric hot springs might have catalyzed the formation of organic compounds. These sulfides, such as mackinawite, have long fascinated scientists because of their potential to mimic modern metabolic enzymes.
Their role as catalysts could be crucial for carbon fixation—the process of converting carbon dioxide (CO₂) into organic molecules. Unlike previous studies focusing on deep-sea hydrothermal vents, this new research explores terrestrial hot springs as a plausible cradle of life, thanks to their mineral diversity, access to sunlight, and water vapor.
In their experiments, the researchers synthesized nanoscale iron sulfides, including pure forms and versions mixed with elements like manganese, nickel, titanium, and cobalt. They exposed these samples to hydrogen gas and carbon dioxide under simulated hot spring conditions: temperatures between 80–120 Celsius.
The study results are remarkable, too. Manganese-doped iron sulfides emerged as the most efficient catalysts of the group, producing methanol through nonenzymatic pathways. Interestingly, sunlight appears to play a critical role, too, and likely played a crucial role in the creation of life on Earth millions of years ago.
The researchers say that UV-visible light enhanced the chemical reactions, which could suggest that early Earth’s sunlit hot springs could have amplified these processes. Water vapor further boosted catalytic activity, which reinforces the idea that vapor-rich environments were ideal for prebiotic synthesis.
The research revealed that these reactions likely followed the reverse water-gas shift (RWGS) pathway. In this process, carbon dioxide is reduced to carbon monoxide, which is then converted into methanol. This could very well have helped create life on Earth through the aforementioned chemical reactions.
More interestingly, advanced computational techniques showed that doping iron sulfides with manganese lowers the reaction’s energy barrier, improving efficiency and mimicking enzyme-like behavior. Terrestrial hot springs, with their rich chemistry and unique environmental conditions, could prove to be a compelling setting for life’s origins.
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