Irradiation of solutions at pH 7 to pH 8.5 of orotic acid, orotidine, and orotidine 5'-phosphate with light at 254 nanometers yields the corresponding uracil derivative via the singlet excited state. This reaction completes a plausible prebiotic synthesis of uracil and its derivatives starting from HCN as the only carbon source.
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Ferris et al. (1978) studied this question.
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