Chiral 480nm absorption in the hemoglycin space polymer (2203.06130v1)

Abstract: A 1494 Dalton hemoglycin space polymer of Glycine18 Hydroxy-glycine4 Fe2O4 termed the core unit is part of a polymer of Glycine, Si, Fe and O that forms tubes, vesicles and a lattice structure isolated from CV3 meteorites and characterized by mass spectrometry, FIB/SIMS and X-ray analysis. In Hartree-Fock calculations the polymer has an absorption of blue light at 480nm that is dependent on rectus R (= dextro D) chirality in a hydroxy-glycine residue whose C-terminus is bonded to an iron atom. The absorption originates in the Fe II state as a consequence of chiral symmetry breaking. The infrared spectrum is presented. We discuss how the core unit could have been selected 4.5 billion years ago in our protoplanetary disc by blue light from the early sun.