Organic biomolecules bind to phosphate through borate linkages in aqueous solution: a possible role of boron as a phosphorylation chaperone in the prebiotic world

Abstract: Solutions of salicyclic, ascorbic, and citric acids were reacted with boric acid, followed by NaH 2 PO 4 . The products, triphosphateborate ester of salicylic acid ( 1 ), orthosphateborate ester of ascorbic acid ( 2 ), triphosphateborate ester of ascorbic acid ( 3 ), and orthosphateborate ester of citric acid ( 4 ), were ash precipitated with cold acetone and characterised by microanalysis, thermal analysis, FT-IR, Raman, 11 B NMR, 31 P MAS NMR, and mass spectroscopic techniques. Analytical results indicated the presence of {C{O{B{O{P{ linkages with the attached phosphate groups varying between orthophosphate and triphosphate, depending on the starting material. The biomolecules studied in this work may serve as models in the B{P-organic system and the results would provide a possible contribution to boron prebiotic chemistr

Synthetic routes to manganese oxoborate and correlations between experimental parameters and properties

This study examines manganese oxoborate synthesis in three different routes and the role of process parameters on structure and morphology of the products. Borax or boric acid and simple manganese salts were used as raw materials. In this regard, the samples prepared by hydrothermal, solid-state, and solution combustion methods were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), vibrational spectroscopy (FT-IR and Raman), thermal analysis (DSC and TGA), scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM), chemical analysis and BET surface area measurements. It was found that all three strategies yielded warwickite-type Mn2OBO3 nanoparticles, but with significant changes in morphology, size, and surface characteristics. The hydrothermal approach has proven to be a general approach for synthesizing manganese oxoborate nanorods at pH 7.5. Solution combustion technique appeared the most practical and promising not only as a time-saving route but also in the production of ca. 100 nm, quasi-spherical, mesoporous manganese oxoborate nanoparticles