Thioester synthesis through geoelectrochemical CO2 fixation on Ni sulfides

Abstract

Thioesters are often suggested to be key intermediates in primordial metabolism, but prebiotic CO2 fixation routes to thioesters remain elusive. Here, the authors show nickel sulfide, partially reduced to Ni(0) with realistic geoelectric potentials, facilitates thioester (S-methyl thioacetate) formation via CO2-to-CO electroreduction, followed by a CO-methanethiol reaction.