Particle.news
Download on the App Store
4 ARTICLES
·
last wk.

Ionic Liquids Emerge as Candidate Habitats on Water-Scarce Worlds

Published in PNAS, the study shows that mixtures of sulfuric acid with nitrogen-rich organics can yield liquids stable up to 180°C under ultralow pressures, pointing to a solvent for life beyond water.

“We consider water to be required for life because that is what’s needed for Earth life. But if we look at a more general definition, we see that what we need is a liquid in which metabolism for life can take place,” says Rachana Agrawal.
Artist's concept of an Earth-like planet in a habitable zone around its host star (Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)

Overview

  • PNAS peer review confirms that lab mixtures of sulfuric acid with nitrogen-containing organics produce ionic liquids remaining liquid at temperatures up to about 180°C under pressures far below Earth’s.
  • These fluids’ negligible vapor pressures allow them to persist as small oases on warm, water-depleted rocky planets, expanding conventional habitable-zone criteria beyond liquid water.
  • Experiments on basalt substrates under simulated planetary conditions demonstrate consistent ionic-liquid formation from volcanic sulfuric acid interacting with common organic compounds.
  • Initial trials reveal certain proteins and other biomolecules can remain stable in these ionic fluids, suggesting potential non-water-based metabolic processes.
  • Researchers plan follow-on work to verify natural occurrences, assess complex biochemical viability, and develop remote or in-situ detection strategies.