Microbubble Interfaces as Structurally Favorable Niches in Alkaline Hydrothermal Systems

Alkaline hydrothermal vents are widely regarded as promising environments for the emergence of early chemolithoautotrophic metabolisms. However, their bulk physicochemical conditions—high temperature, high pH, abundant metal ions, and rapid fluid flow—rapidly degrade RNA, lipids, and other fragile prebiotic structures. Here, we propose that microbubble interfaces, continuously generated as hydrothermal fluids mix with seawater, represent overlooked microscale niches capable of concentrating organics, stabilizing amphiphiles, and supporting early compartmentalization. Gas–liquid interfaces exhibit reduced temperatures, strong interfacial adsorption, and localized pH gradients, potentially enabling structural persistence within an otherwise destructive environment. We outline a hypothesis linking interfacial chemistry, amphiphile assembly, RNA stabilization, and protocell emergence, and describe explicit, testable implications of this framework.