Radiation-chemical aspects of chemical evolution and radiation chemistry of simple cyano compounds

The role of ionizing radiation as one of energy sources for chemical evolution processes is examined. The discovery of fossil nuclear reactors in old uranium deposits of Oklo (Africa) suggest that natural nuclear reactors could have have been the sources of abundant, localized, radiation in the past of our planet. A brief survey of radiation chemistry of aqueous solutions of cyanides and simple nitriles is given. Some results obtained at BKI (Vinča) suggest that simple cyano compounds could have been an important raw material for primordial organic synthesis in aqueous medium and ionizing radiation as the source of energy. It has been concluded that the studies of chemical evolution can be a rewarding domain for radiation chemistry to transfer some of its achievements.