Spectral evidence for phosphoramide bondings between nucleobases and tripolyphosphate: possibly generative of prenucleic polybasephosphate chains

Abstract

Hypochromy of the UV spectra measured in slightly alkaline, aqueous mixtures of nucleobases and tripolyphosphate and its reversal by acidification have grounded evidence for their dehydrating, phosphoramidic condensation into acid-labile bimolecular base-pyrophosphate monomeric units of polybasephosphates, plausibly considered as riboseless prenucleic polymers of prebiotic evolution.