Quantum Tunneling in Prebiotic Chemistry for the Emergence of Self-Replicating Molecular Systems

This paper outlines a comprehensive investigation into the role of quantum tunneling in facilitating chemical reactions essential for the origin of life. Classical chemical kinetics often fails to account for reaction rates at the low temperatures or high activation barriers characteristic of certain prebiotic environments. We present a mathematical framework for one-dimensional quantum tunneling and apply it to proton transfer, hydride shifts, and tautomerization reactions. Numerical estimations demonstrate that tunneling probabilities for protons exceed classical Boltzmann probabilities by several orders of magnitude at 300 K. We further incorporated recent literature data on Titan-like environments, interstellar analog ices, and mineral surface catalysis. Our results suggest that quantum tunneling acts as a critical trigger for the formation of self-replicating molecules in the primordial soup, particularly in the synthesis of ribose and the stabilization of RNA precursors.