SALT-INDUCED PEPTIDE FORMATION FROM AMINO-ACIDS IN THE PRESENCE OF CLAYS AND RELATED CATALYSTS

The salt-induced peptide formation (SIPF) reaction, starting from the amino acids glycine and/or alanine has been performed as wetting/dryin g cycles in the presence of the clay minerals montmorillonite and hect orite and the related catalysts alumina and silica, in order to see wh ether SIPF and clay-catalysed peptide synthesis reactions could have o ccurred simultaneously under primitive earth conditions. The results s how that this is highly possible, and that peptides are formed from pu re amino acids and from their mixtures as well. Montmorillonite enhanc es the synthesis of tripeptides and stabilises the products against hy drolysis, whereas hectorite reduces the yields of all products. The co mparison with silica and alumina indicates that the silica groups shou ld be mainly responsible for the catalytic and stabilising effects of clay minerals. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.