Peptide Formation in the Presence of Linear or Cyclic Polyphosphates
SEVERAL authors have reported the condensation of amino-acids in aqueous solutions using various “prebiotic” condensing agents, such as cyanamide1–3, cyanoguanidine4 and dicyanamide5. The yields are generally very low (up to 1 or 2 per cent), or are only higher in a pH range which is not believed to be that of primitive oceans (neutral to slightly alkaline)6.