Symmetry Breaking in Prebiotic Synthesis via Spin-Dependent Electrochemical Selection: The Quantum Origin of Biological Homochirality

Life on Earth exhibits a strict chiral asymmetry. Proteins are built almost exclusively from Levorotatory (L) amino acids, while nucleic acids (DNA/RNA) use Dextrorotatory (D) sugars. In contrast, abiotic chemical syntheses—such as the Miller-Urey experiment—yield racemic mixtures (50% L and 50% D). Current hypotheses for this discrepancy include: * Stochastic Seeding: A random fluctuation produced a slight excess of one enantiomer, which was amplified by autocatalysis. * Extraterrestrial Origin: Circularly polarized light in space degraded one enantiomer on meteorites before they struck Earth. However, these explanations lack a driving thermodynamic force. We propose that Quantum Spin Filtration (QSF) provided the necessary selection pressure. Recent studies in spintronics have proven that chiral molecules act as electron spin filters (the CISS effect). We hypothesize that prebiotic synthesis occurred on magnetic mineral surfaces that acted as spin-injectors, energetically favoring the formation of L-molecules over D-molecules. 3.Theoretical Framework The Chiral Induced Spin Selectivity (CISS) effect establishes that electron transmission through a chiral potential barrier is spin-dependent. We model the prebiotic synthesis of amino acids not merely as a chemical reaction, but as a spin-dependent charge transfer process.