Uploaded June 2023 | Updated September 2026, 2 days ago
Instead of sparks, I use plasma that is controlled by a microcontroller. The plasma is so hot that it oxidizes the nitrogen in the trapped air inside the reaction flask. The Vigreux column serves as intermediate storage for the condensate and is supposed to give it time for chemical reactions before it runs back into the main flask. The starting substance is a mixture of distilled water and 75% formic acid, which form an azeotrope. Formic acid is used because traces of it have been detected spectroscopically in space. The aim of the modified Miller–Urey experiment is to synthesize amino acids too.
Instead of sparks, I use plasma that is controlled by a microcontroller. The plasma is so hot that it oxidizes the nitrogen in the trapped air inside the reaction flask. The Vigreux column serves as intermediate storage for the condensate and is supposed to give it time for chemical reactions before it runs back into the main flask. The starting substance is a mixture of distilled water and 75% formic acid, which form an azeotrope. Formic acid is used because traces of it have been detected spectroscopically in space. The aim of the modified Miller–Urey experiment is to synthesize amino acids too.
