{
  "abstract": "Fatty acid vesicles generated through water-rock interactions have been proposed as plausible models of protocells on early Earth. However, how mineral surfaces influence membrane properties over a wide range of temperatures remains unclear. Here, we investigate the temperature-dependent phase transition and hydrocarbon chain packing of vesicles composed of decanoic acid (DA) and 1-decanol (DOH) in contact with FeS, a key hydrothermal vent mineral. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed that DOH incorporation enhances orientational ordering of the hydrocarbon chains, forming more densely packed and thermally stable membranes. This enhancement in molecular ordering induced by DOH incorporation was confirmed experimentally by in situ temperature-controlled micro-Raman spectroscopy and cross-polarized optical microscopy. Upon contact with FeS, DA/DOH vesicles preferentially adhered to FeS surfaces and underwent pronounced structural deformation in response to microscale mineral topology. Despite this deformation, the DA/DOH vesicles retained their liquid-crystalline membrane state. These results demonstrate that FeS surface reorganizes hydrocarbon chain packing in fatty acid membranes, suggesting that mineral-associated protocells possess structurally and dynamically distinct membrane states from free-floating vesicles under the thermally dynamic HV environments.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI, Institute of Science Tokyo, 2-12-1-I7E Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan, 152-8550",
    "School of Materials and Chemical Technology",
    "Institute of Science Tokyo",
    "Biofunctional Catalyst Research Team, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science (CSRS, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, Japan, 351-0198",
    "Department of Chemistry, Molecular Sciences Research Hub",
    "Imperial College London",
    "Department of Life Science and Technology Institute of Science Tokyo"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 7,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1,
        2,
        3
      ],
      "name": "Shunto Harada",
      "orcid": "0009-0006-7062-4582"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Yuki Murakami"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        3
      ],
      "name": "Hye-Eun Lee"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        3
      ],
      "name": "Yamei Li"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        4,
        5
      ],
      "name": "Aileen Cooney"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        6
      ],
      "name": "Tomoaki Matsuura"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1,
        2,
        3
      ],
      "name": "Ryuhei Nakamura"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/45fcvyzavef7d.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.26434/chemrxiv.15010154/v1",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "45fcvyzavef7d",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.26434/chemrxiv.15010154/v1",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "3103|Origins and Evolution of Life"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7221151370",
  "pdf_url": null,
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-09",
  "publisher": "American Chemical Society (ACS)",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/45fcvyzavef7d.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:22Z",
      "native_id": "10.26434/chemrxiv.15010154",
      "source": "chemrxiv",
      "url": "https://chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.26434/chemrxiv.15010154/v1"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "astronomy",
      "origin": "openalex:3103|Origins and Evolution of Life",
      "subfield": "general"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Temperature-dependent Hydrocarbon Chain Packing in Fatty Acid Protocell Membranes at Mineral Interfaces",
  "title_text": "Temperature-dependent Hydrocarbon Chain Packing in Fatty Acid Protocell Membranes at Mineral Interfaces",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:17:22Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/45fcvyzavef7d",
  "venue": "ChemRxiv",
  "versions": []
}