The rainout of formaldehyde favors a formose-based origin of life in shallow ponds

The rainout of formaldehyde favors a formose-based origin of life in shallow ponds | Research Square Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article The rainout of formaldehyde favors a formose-based origin of life in shallow ponds Manuel Scherf, Tereza Constatinou, Paul Rimmer, Peter Woitke, and 7 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8852020/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Formaldehyde (CH 2 O) is a key building block in prebiotic chemistry, and is central for sugar synthesis via the formose reaction. Atmospheric photochemistry can produce substantial amounts of CH 2 O that can then be delivered to the ocean or ponds via rainout. To assess the potential for atmospheric CH 2 O to trigger the formose reaction in subaerial water bodies, we couple photochemical simulations with rainout and aqueous modeling. Our model results demonstrate that the photochemical production of CH 2 O is confined to similar atmospheric mixing ratios (X CH 2 O ≈10 -10 ) and rainout fluxes (Φ CH 2 O ≈3.5×10 8 cm -2 s -1 ) for a broad range of atmospheric and environmental compositions. Yet, its accumulation in aqueous bodies is fundamentally limited by the Cannizzaro reaction. This competitive pathway rapidly depletes formaldehyde with increasing pH, preventing the steady-state aqueous concentrations (i.e., [CH 2 O]≥0.01 mol/L) required for sugar synthesis in global oceans. As a result, a global ocean on early Earth was unfavorable for a sustained formaldehyde-driven sugar chemistry. In contrast, shallow water bodies such as volcanic hot spring pools and shallow ponds with large surface-area-to-volume ratios can reach the required concentrations for moderately alkaline pH values. Additional sources of CH 2 O, such as exogenous delivery and lightning, cannot substantially alter these constraints as photochemistry remains the dominant source of CH 2 O by orders of magnitude. Our results suggest that the origin of life via formose-like pathways is likely restricted to localized, shallow-water environments on early Earth, a potentially habitable early Venus, and rocky planets in general. Physical sciences/Astronomy and planetary science/Planetary science/Atmospheric chemistry Physical sciences/Astronomy and planetary science/Planetary science/Astrobiology Physical sciences/Chemistry/Chemical origin of life Earth and environmental sciences/Planetary science/Astrobiology Earth and environmental sciences/Planetary science/Early solar system Tunable photon pair source Integrated photonics Non-linear waveguides SPDC Lithium niobate Quantum light generation Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information

Related documents

• Pond and Stream#50080
• Littoral and wetland vegetation decrease carbon emissions from dry inland waters.#1040254
• Restored wetlands: interplay between environmental variables, aboveground and belowground plant traits, and carbon cycling.#663330
• Typology-based optimization reveals urban stream restoration priorities for biodiversity, climate adaptation and quality of life#680755
• Aquatic Macrophytes as Nature-Based Solutions: Challenges and Opportunities Across Inland and Coastal Waters#453054