Composition of starting materials, conditions under which those materials were heated to metamorphic temperatures and analytical results, including mineralogy and phosphorus speciation

The dataset includes results from laboratory experiments aiming to explore the reduction and polymerization potential of phosphorus under metamorphic conditions. Table 1 shows the initial composition of the starting materials, as well as the conditions under which those materials were heated to metamorphic temperatures. Table 2 shows the analytical results, including mineralogy and phosphorus speciation. The results show that phosphate polymerization occurs at moderate temperatures of a <100 to ca. 300 degrees whereas phosphate reduction increases with increasing temperature. The presence of metallic catalysts impacts both processes. The results imply that a diverse suite of phosphorus species can be created during metamorphism, which may explain previous reports of reduced phosphorus in high-grade metamorphic rocks. This is relevant for the origin of life, where such species may have been important precursors for phosphorylated biomolecules.