Thermochemical aspects of the conversion of the gaseous system CO2-N-2-H2Ointo a solid mixture of amino acids

Conversion of the gaseous mixture CO2(g)+N-2(g)+H2O(g) to a solid amino aci d condensate in an electric discharge plasma has high efficiency of the ene rgy transfer from the different plasma components into chemical processes. The basic activation process is activation of the N-2 metastable electronic state, followed by formation of NCO* and ON-NCO free-radicals and generati on of many reactive radicals. These radicals help to overcome the high acti vation energy of thermal dissociation of N-2 to N (950 kJ=9.846 eV). The major product is a statistical polycondensate containing the amino acid s: arginine, lysine, histidine, methionine, glycine, alanine, serine and as partic acid. This information was obtained by comparing the IR spectra of t he products with reference IR absorption spectra of pure components. Identi fication of the individual amino acids in the solid product was performed b y HPLC, when samples were dissolved using 6 M HCl applied at 100 degrees C for 24 h. Properties of the condensate were estimated using thermogravimetr ic analysis. Small amounts of oxamidato complexes and oligo pyrrole structu res are formed on the electrode surface giving the surface catalytic proper ties. The gas cleaning process has practical applicability (production of u seful fertilizers, reduction of the CO2 concentration in the atmosphere) an d may also contribute to explanation of the origin of life on Earth.