THE ROLE OF SELF-ASSEMBLED MONOLAYERS OF THE PURINE AND PYRIMIDINE-BASES IN THE EMERGENCE OF LIFE

The experimental evidence for the spontaneous formation and structure determination of two-dimensional monolayers of the purine and pyrimidi ne bases is examined. The plausibility of such structures forming spon taneously at the solid-liquid interface following their prebiotic synt hesis suggests a functional role for them in the emergence of life. It is proposed that prebiotic interactions of enantiomorphic monolayers of mixed base composition with racemic amino acids might be implicated in a simultaneous origin of a primitive genetic coding mechanism and biomolecular homochirality. The interactions of these monolayers with carbohydrates and other derivatives is also discussed.