An international team of scientists has uncovered a fascinating role for iron sulfides in the creation of life on early Earth.
Their study, published in Nature Communications, suggests that these minerals, abundant in ancient hot springs, may have helped turn carbon dioxide (CO₂) into organic molecules—the building blocks of life—without needing enzymes.
The research team, including experts from China, Japan, and Australia, focused on how iron sulfides might have jumpstarted prebiotic chemistry in terrestrial hot springs.
These springs, rich in minerals and chemicals and exposed to sunlight, are thought to be a potential cradle of life.
While past studies have concentrated on deep-sea hydrothermal vents as a birthplace for life, this research highlights the importance of hot springs on land.
To test their ideas, the team created tiny particles of iron sulfides in the lab, adding elements often found in hot springs, like manganese, nickel, titanium, and cobalt.
They simulated early Earth conditions by exposing these materials to CO₂ and hydrogen (H₂) at temperatures between 80–120°C and atmospheric pressure.
The results were surprising—especially manganese-doped iron sulfides, which showed high activity at 120°C.
Not only did these reactions produce methanol, a simple organic molecule, but the process became even more efficient when exposed to sunlight and water vapor.
This suggests that early Earth’s sunlight and the steamy conditions of hot springs could have played a big role in prebiotic chemical reactions.
Using advanced techniques, including gas chromatography and infrared spectroscopy, the researchers discovered that the reaction likely followed the reverse water-gas shift pathway.
In this process, CO₂ is first turned into carbon monoxide (CO) and then into methanol.
Computer calculations revealed that manganese improved the efficiency of the reaction by creating better sites for transferring electrons, making the reaction easier and faster.
What makes iron sulfides so intriguing is their similarity to modern enzymes in living cells. They appear to mimic the way these biological molecules facilitate key reactions, offering a glimpse into how life might have begun on Earth billions of years ago.
This study opens up new possibilities for understanding life’s origins, both on Earth and on other planets.
By demonstrating how simple minerals like iron sulfides could have helped create life’s precursors, it strengthens the idea that terrestrial hot springs might have been the perfect environment for life to emerge.
These findings may also guide the search for life on planets with similar conditions.
