有机化学 ›› 2026, Vol. 46 ›› Issue (9): 3293-3316.DOI: 10.6023/cjoc202605021 上一篇    下一篇

综述与进展

通往生命起源的化学之路

朱山辉a, 刘天飞a,b,*()   

  1. a 南开大学化学学院 有机新物质创造前沿科学中心 天津 300071
    b 物质绿色创造与制造海河实验室 天津 300192
  • 收稿日期:2026-05-19 修回日期:2026-07-04 发布日期:2026-07-23
  • 基金资助:
    国家重点研发计划(2022YFB4101800); 国家自然科学基金(22171141); 国家自然科学基金(22193010); 国家自然科学基金(22193014); 全国重点实验室天津市重大专项(25ZXZSSS00700); 及中央高校基本科研业务费(020-63263149)

Chemical Pathways to the Origin of Life

Shanhui Zhua, Tianfei Liua,b,*()   

  1. a State Key Laboratory and Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071
    b Haihe Laboratory of Sustainable Chemical Transformations, Tianjin 300192
  • Received:2026-05-19 Revised:2026-07-04 Published:2026-07-23
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  • About author:

    Dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the birth of Professor Xikui Jiang.

  • Supported by:
    National Key Research and Development Program of China(2022YFB4101800); National Natural Science Foundation of China(22171141); National Natural Science Foundation of China(22193010); National Natural Science Foundation of China(22193014); Tianjin Major Science and Technology Project for National Key Laboratories(25ZXZSSS00700); Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(020-63263149)

回顾了目前关于生命起源化学演化路径的流行学术观点. 这些观点涵盖了通过深海地质样品分析、深空观测以及实验室中人工模拟与实验所揭示的可能途径, 展示了在地球早期环境中, 由无机物质合成脂肪酸、脂肪醇、烃类以及含氮、硫、磷有机化合物的过程. 此外, 介绍了基于蒋锡夔先生等发展的有机分子簇集与自卷理论所建设的原细胞理论及其功能构建实验的最新进展, 以及关于节律性与周期性有序结构的涌现、自我复制与演化、组装理论的相关内容. 最后回顾了最后的共同祖先理论与人工合成细胞的实验尝试. 该文可为生命起源的后续研究与地外生命探索研究提供重要参考.

关键词: 生命起源, 疏水亲脂相互作用, 组装理论, 原细胞, 人工合成细胞

Current popular academic viewpoints on the chemical evolutionary pathways to the origin of life are summarized. It contains possible pathways revealed by exploration of deep-sea geological samples, deep-space observations, and artificial laboratory simulations and experiments, revealing the synthesis of fatty acids, fatty alcohols, hydrocarbons, and nitrogen-, sulfur-, and phosphorus-containing organic compounds from inorganic matters in Earth’s initial environments. It also contains the latest advances in the theory of protocell and experiments for its functional construction based on the theory of the organic molecular aggregation and self-coiling developed by Prof. Xi-Kui Jiang et al., the emergence of rhythmic and periodic orders, self-replication and evolution, and the assembly theory. Finally, the theory of last universal common ancestor and experimental attempts at artificially synthesized cells are also reviewed. It can provide important references for future research on the origin of life and the search for extraterrestrial life.

Key words: the origin of life, hydrophobic-lipophilic interaction, assembly theory, protocell, artificial synthetic cell