Abiotic solar energy conversion is one of the leading ideas in research on how energy-rich chemical systems could arise before biology became established. Early Earth had abundant sunlight, water and iron-bearing rocks, but no photosynthetic organisms to capture solar energy. Subject of Research: Abiotic solar energy conversion driven by silicate-bound iron in terrestrial environmentsArticle Title: Silicate-bound iron drives abiotic solar energy conversion in terrestrial environmentsArticle References: Zhang, Z., Yuan, C., Huang, W. et al. “Silicate-bound iron drives abiotic solar energy conversion in terrestrial environments.” https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-76708-9Image Credits: AI GeneratedDOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-76708-9Keywords: Silicate-bound iron, abiotic photochemistry, solar energy conversion, mineral chemistry, iron redox chemistry, terrestrial environments, photocatalysis, prebiotic chemistry, geochemistry, sustainable materials