Oro, John2022-06-222022-06-22196913753620https://hdl.handle.net/10657/9923A Fischer-Tropsch-like process has been employed to synthesize some biologically significant purine and pyrimidine bases, under the conditions which was believed possibly existing in the early solar nebula. The reaction conditions were intended to simulate conditions in the solar nebula; brief thermal spikes superimposed on a general downward trend. Carbon monoxide, hydrogen, and ammonia (1:2:0.4 mole ratio) were the reactants. Iron-nickel alloy powder, alumina and silica gel were used as catalysts. In a typical run, adenine, guanine, cytosine, guanylurea, melamine, urea, biuret and cyanuric acid were synthesized in.a yield 3.828%. The presence of these compounds were positively identified by paper chromatography, ultraviolet and infrared spectrophotometry with comparison to the authentic standards. The agreement between the synthetic products in this work and the nitrogen compounds identified in the meteorites shows that the nitrogen compounds in meteorites probably formed by a Fischer-Tropsch-like process under the conditions which existed in the early solar nebula.application/pdfenThis item is protected by copyright but is made available here under a claim of fair use (17 U.S.C. Section 107) for non-profit research and educational purposes. Users of this work assume the responsibility for determining copyright status prior to reusing, publishing, or reproducing this item for purposes other than what is allowed by fair use or other copyright exemptions. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires express permission of the copyright holder.Thesisreformatted digital