CH4/N2/H2 spark hydrophilic tholins: A systematic approach to the characterization of tholins

Tholins are complex organic materials produced by irradiation of several carbon and nitrogen rich atmospheres. They could have played a key role in the origin of life on Earth because their ability to release important bioorganics, which are nowadays present in proteins, nucleic-acid bases and other important biostructures. Usually, the yield of these compounds is higher after acid hydrolysis, however little is known about the structure and chemical composition of the tholins. In this work, we propose the use of different spectroscopic and separation techniques, which are not usually applied in this field, in order to obtain complete information about the tholin structure and behavior. Two different simulation experiments of prebiotic synthesis were carried out in CH4/N2/H2 atmosphere out from spark discharge activation of aqueous aerosols and liquid water, respectively. In both cases, a hydrophilic tholin and a hydrophobic tholin were obtained. Herein, we report the application of this methodology to our hydrophilic tholins and we review, briefly, some astrobiological aspects related to these complex substances.