Steep pH gradients and directed colloid transport in a microfluidic alkaline hydrothermal pore
Abstract
All life on earth depends on the generation and exploitation of ionic and pH gradients across membranes. One theory for the origin of life proposes that geological pH gradients were the prebiotic ancestors of these cellular disequilibria. With an alkaline interior and acidic exterior, alkaline vents match the topology of modern cells, but it remains unknown whether the steep pH gradients persist at the microscopic scale. Herein, we demonstrate the existence of 6 pH‐unit gradients across micrometer scales in a microfluidic vent replicate. Precipitation of metal sulfides at the interface strengthens the gradients, but even in the absence of precipitates laminar flow sustains the disequilibria. The gradients drive directed transport at the fluid interface, leading to colloid accumulation or depletion. Our results confirm that alkaline vents can provide an exploitable pH gradient, supporting their potential role at the emergence of chemiosmosis and the origin of life.
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Thermophoresis can lead to orders of magnitude accumulation of organic compounds in compartments on scales the size of μm to cm.
“Thermophoresis can lead to orders of magnitude accumulation of organic compounds in compartments on scales the size of μm to cm.”
From Serpentinization as the source of energy, electrons, organics, catalysts, nutrients and pH gradients for the origin of LUCA and life (2023) · cites this paper as Möller et al., 2017
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Tompkins, N., Arebalo, R. J., Brandenburg, G., Cherry, B., Moran, M., & Orcutt, A. (2025) · The Journal of Chemical Physics · doi:10.1063/5.0297885
Flow-driven non-covalent synthesis
Numata, M. (2026) · Chemical Communications · doi:10.1039/d5cc05947j
Papale, F., Kulish, Y., Bielawski, J., & Haraoui, L.-P. (2026) · Royal Society Open Science · doi:10.1098/rsos.260737
- Authors
- Möller, F. M., Kriegel, F., Kieß, M., Sojo, V., & Braun, D.
- Affiliations
- Center for NanoScience (DE)
- Systems Biophysics Physics Department Nanosystems Initiative Munich and Center for NanoScience Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München Amalienstraße 54 80799 München Germany
- Corresponding author
- Braun, Dieter
- ORCID
- Braun, Dieter
- Venue
- Angewandte Chemie International Edition
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2017-01-24
- Volume
- 56
- Issue
- 9
- Pages
- 2340-2344
- ISSN
- 1433-7851 (ISSN-L)
- 1521-3773
- OpenAlex
- W2582667069
- Cited by
- 78
- References
- 29
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 10
- FWCI
- 6.13
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Angewandte Chemie International Edition (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Origins and Evolution of Life
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Biomedical Engineering › Nanopore and Nanochannel Transport Studies
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Biomedical Engineering › Microfluidic and Capillary Electrophoresis Applications
- Keywords
- pH gradient, alkaline hydrothermal vents, colloid transport, metal sulfide precipitation, origin of life, chemiosmosis, laminar flow, prebiotic chemistry
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