Simultaneous Nucleotide Activation and Synthesis of Amino Acid Amides by a Potentially Prebiotic Multi‐Component Reaction

Prebiotic building blocks—two for the price of one: In water at nearly neutral pH values, the assembly of an isocyanide, an aldehyde, and ammonia into an amino acid amide is facilitated by a nucleotide. In this process, the nucleotide is activated. The production of building blocks for both RNA and proteins in one high-yield reaction suggests a possible link between these macromolecules in the origin of life.