Detailed analytical study of radiolysis products of simple organic compounds as a methodological approach to investigate prebiotic chemistry—Part 1

Aqueous solutions of simple organic C1 compounds (methanol and acetonitrile) and ammonia, presumably present on primordial Earth, were subjected to 60Co gamma irradiation (total dose 800 kGy). The irradiation gave a complex mixture of organic compounds leading interestingly to a positive balance of synthesis vs. degradation reactions. In particular, if acetonitrile was used, nucleobase analogues could be detected among products. Highly sensitive and powerful analytical techniques (e.g. GC–MS, HPLC-MS) made this investigation feasible at a reasonable cost in terms of time and results. Plausible reaction pathways leading to major compounds were proposed, supported by literature data.