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Project Progress

Our group at SUNY-Stony Brook has focussed on two research projects: a) rate of CO hydration and stability of formate and b) reduction of dinitrogen to ammonia catalyzed by minerals. The experimental study of the rate of CO hydration is nearly complete and a new rate equation has been derived for this process. This rate equation will be used by Jim Kasting in his effort to model the fate of atmospheric CO on an early Earth. In the second year we have also started to work on the stability of formate. Exposure to light in the absence and presence of minerals has been studied. We can demonstrate that in the presence of several minerals, formate transforms to formaldehyde. This is relevant because it indicates a reduction of formate. We have also been successful in demonstrating that dinitrogen can be reduced in the presence of iron monosulfide and hydrogen sulfide to ammonia at temperatures ranging from 120 to 150C in an all-liquid system. These experiments have been very difficult to conduct because of parallel reactions involving the metal container surfaces. Now that we have been able to overcome this hurdle, we have been able to demonstrate that small amounts of ammonia can be formed under conditions that are relevant for hydrothermal submarine vents. To our knowledge this is the first study to show this. Both these projects were included in the original proposal.