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Enrique-Romero J, Lamberts T. The Complex (Organic) Puzzle of the Formation of Hydrogen Cyanide and Isocyanide on Interstellar Ice Analogues. J Phys Chem Lett 2024; 15:7799-7805. [PMID: 39051824 PMCID: PMC11299174 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.4c01537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2024] [Revised: 07/18/2024] [Accepted: 07/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
Aiming to constrain the surface formation of HCN and HNC in the dense interstellar medium on ice-covered dust grains, we investigate the interaction of CN radicals with H2O and CO ices and their subsequent reactivity with H and H2. CN radicals can physisorb on both ices. However, on H2O ice, a hemibond formation is the most common binding mode, while on CO ice, the CN-CO van der Waals complex can form NCCO with a small energy barrier. We show low barrier or barrierless pathways to the formation of HCN and HNC for the reaction H + CN on both ices. Reactivity with H2 involves activation energy barriers to form HCN, which may be overcome by quantum tunneling, while HNC formation is unlikely. The formation of HCN and HNC competes with the formation of NH2CHO on H2O and HCOCN on CO.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joan Enrique-Romero
- Leiden
Institute of Chemistry, Gorlaeus Laboratories, Leiden University, PO Box 9502, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Thanja Lamberts
- Leiden
Institute of Chemistry, Gorlaeus Laboratories, Leiden University, PO Box 9502, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
- Leiden
Observatory, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9513, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
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2
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Fortenberry RC. A Vision for the Future of Astrochemistry in the Interstellar Medium by 2050. ACS PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY AU 2024; 4:31-39. [PMID: 38283789 PMCID: PMC10811777 DOI: 10.1021/acsphyschemau.3c00043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
By 2050, many, but not nearly all, unattributed astronomical spectral features will be conclusively linked to molecular carriers (as opposed to nearly none today in the visible and IR); amino acids will have been observed remotely beyond our solar system; the largest observatories ever constructed on the surface of the Earth or launched beyond it will be operational; high-throughput computation either from brute force or machine learning will provide unprecedented amounts of reference spectral and chemical reaction data; and the chemical fingerprints of the universe delivered by those of us who call ourselves astrochemists will provide astrophysicists with unprecedented resolution for determining how the stars evolve, planets form, and molecules that lead to life originate. Astrochemistry is a relatively young field, but with the entire universe as its playground, the discipline promises to persist as long as telescopic observations are made that require reference data and complementary chemical modeling. While the recent commissionings of the James Webb Space Telescope and Atacama Large Millimeter Array are ushering in the second "golden age" of astrochemistry (with the first being the radio telescopic boom period of the 1970s), this current period of discovery should facilitate unprecedented advances within the next 25 years. Astrochemistry forces the asking of hard questions beyond the physical conditions of our "pale blue dot", and such questions require creative solutions that are influential beyond astrophysics. By 2050, more creative solutions will have been provided, but even more will be needed to answer the continuing question of our astrochemical ignorance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan C. Fortenberry
- Department of Chemistry &
Biochemistry, University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi 38677-1848, United
States
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3
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Zhu B, Zeng X. 3-Fluoro-2 H-azirine: Generation, Characterization, and Photochemistry. J Phys Chem A 2023; 127:10591-10599. [PMID: 38063135 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.3c06076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2023]
Abstract
The elusive 3-fluoro-2H-azirine, cyclic NCH2CF, has been generated through the stepwise decomposition of the acryloyl azide CH2CFC(O)N3 in an N2-matrix at 10 K. The characterization of cyclic NCH2CF with matrix-isolation IR spectroscopy is supported by 15N isotope labeling and the calculations with density functional theory (DFT) at the B3LYP/6-311++G(3df,3pd) level of theory. Upon irradiation at 193 nm, cyclic NCH2CF undergoes ring opening by forming the more stable nitrile isomer CH2FCN. In contrast to the photodecomposition reactions, the high-vacuum flash pyrolysis of CH2CFC(O)N3 in the gas phase at 500 °C yields the Curtius rearrangement product CH2CFNCO along with secondary fragmentation to the atmospherically relevant fluorocarbonyl radical (FCO) and cyanomethyl radical (CH2CN). Calculations on the potential energy profile for the decomposition reactions of CH2CFC(O)N3 demonstrate that the excessive energy, arising from the highly exothermic Curtius rearrangement of the azide, plays a key role in driving further dissociation reactions of CH2CFNCO by overcoming the formidable barriers (>50 kcal mol-1) under the pyrolysis conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bifeng Zhu
- Department of Chemistry, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Catalysis and Innovative Materials, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Xiaoqing Zeng
- Department of Chemistry, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Catalysis and Innovative Materials, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
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4
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Guerrero-Méndez L, Lema-Saavedra A, Jiménez E, Fernández-Ramos A, Martínez-Núñez E. Gas-phase formation of glycolonitrile in the interstellar medium. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2023; 25:20988-20996. [PMID: 37503548 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp02379f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Our automated reaction discovery program, AutoMeKin, has been utilized to investigate the formation of glycolonitrile (HOCH2CN) in the gas phase under the low temperatures of the interstellar medium (ISM). The feasibility of a proposed pathway depends on the absence of barriers above the energy of reactants and the availability of the suggested precursors in the ISM. Based on these criteria, several radical-radical reactions and a radical-molecule reaction have been identified as viable formation routes in the ISM. Among the radical-radical reactions, OH + CH2CN appears to be the most relevant, considering the energy of the radicals and its ability to produce glycolonitrile in a single step. However, our analysis reveals that this reaction produces hydrogen isocyanide (HNC) and formaldehyde (CH2O), with rate coefficients ranging from (7.3-11.5) × 10-10 cm3 molecule-1 s-1 across the temperature range of 10-150 K. Furthermore, the identification of this remarkably efficient pathway for HNC elimination from glycolonitrile significantly broadens the possibilities for any radical-radical mechanism proposed in our research to be considered as a feasible pathway for the formation of HNC in the ISM. This finding is particularly interesing given the persistently unexplained overabundance of hydrogen isocyanide in the ISM. Among the radical-molecule reactions investigated, the most promising one is OH + CH2CHNH, which forms glycolonitrile and atomic hydrogen with rate coefficients in the range (0.3-6.6) × 10-10 cm3 molecule-1 s-1 within the 10-150 K temperature range. Our calculations indicate that the formation of both hydrogen isocyanide and glycolonitrile is efficient under the harsh conditions of the ISM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Guerrero-Méndez
- Departamento de Química Física, Facultade de Química, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Avda. das Ciencias s/n 15782, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
| | - Anxo Lema-Saavedra
- Centro Singular de Investigación en Química Biológica y Materiales Moleculares (CIQUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, C/Jenaro de la Fuente s/n, 15782, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Elena Jiménez
- Departamento de Química Física, Facultad de Ciencias y Tecnologías Químicas, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Avda. Camilo José Cela 1b, 13071, Ciudad Real, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación en Combustión y Contaminación Atmosférica (ICCA), Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Camino de Moledores s/n, 13071, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Antonio Fernández-Ramos
- Departamento de Química Física, Facultade de Química, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Avda. das Ciencias s/n 15782, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
- Centro Singular de Investigación en Química Biológica y Materiales Moleculares (CIQUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, C/Jenaro de la Fuente s/n, 15782, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Emilio Martínez-Núñez
- Departamento de Química Física, Facultade de Química, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Avda. das Ciencias s/n 15782, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
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5
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Okada K, Sakimoto K, Schuessler HA. Rotational Cooling Effect on the Rate Constant in the CH 3F + Ca + Reaction at Low Collision Energies. J Phys Chem A 2022; 126:4881-4890. [PMID: 35857026 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.2c01063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The rotational cooling effect on the reaction rate constant of the gas-phase ion-polar-molecule reaction CH3F + Ca+ → CH3 + CaF+ was experimentally studied at low collision energies. Fluoromethane molecules showed higher reactivity as the rotational temperature decreased. The experimental rate constants were compared with the capture rate constants which were obtained by the Perturbed Rotational State (PRS) theory assuming the rotational level distribution corresponding to the experimental conditions. The PRS result shows a strong dependence of the capture rate constants on the rotational level distribution in accordance with the experimental findings. However, the PRS capture rate constants deviate from the measurement values as the average collision energy increases especially when the fluoromethane molecules are rotationally cooled far below room temperature. The present paper suggests that the rotational state distribution significantly affects the rate constants of ion-polar-molecule reactions and is one of the important issues to be considered in the study of molecular synthesis in the interstellar medium, where the thermal equilibrium is not necessarily established.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kunihiro Okada
- Department of Materials and Life Sciences, Sophia University, 7-1 Kioicho, Chiyoda, Tokyo 102-8554, Japan
| | - Kazuhiro Sakimoto
- Department of Materials and Life Sciences, Sophia University, 7-1 Kioicho, Chiyoda, Tokyo 102-8554, Japan
| | - Hans A Schuessler
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-4242, United States
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6
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Fiore M, Chieffo C, Lopez A, Fayolle D, Ruiz J, Soulère L, Oger P, Altamura E, Popowycz F, Buchet R. Synthesis of Phospholipids Under Plausible Prebiotic Conditions and Analogies with Phospholipid Biochemistry for Origin of Life Studies. ASTROBIOLOGY 2022; 22:598-627. [PMID: 35196460 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2021.0059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Phospholipids are essential components of biological membranes and are involved in cell signalization, in several enzymatic reactions, and in energy metabolism. In addition, phospholipids represent an evolutionary and non-negligible step in life emergence. Progress in the past decades has led to a deeper understanding of these unique hydrophobic molecules and their most pertinent functions in cell biology. Today, a growing interest in "prebiotic lipidomics" calls for a new assessment of these relevant biomolecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele Fiore
- Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Institut de Chimie et de Biochimie Moléculaires et Supramoléculaires, UMR 5246, CNRS, CPE, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Carolina Chieffo
- Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Institut de Chimie et de Biochimie Moléculaires et Supramoléculaires, UMR 5246, CNRS, CPE, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Augustin Lopez
- Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Institut de Chimie et de Biochimie Moléculaires et Supramoléculaires, UMR 5246, CNRS, CPE, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Dimitri Fayolle
- Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Institut de Chimie et de Biochimie Moléculaires et Supramoléculaires, UMR 5246, CNRS, CPE, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Johal Ruiz
- Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Institut de Chimie et de Biochimie Moléculaires et Supramoléculaires, UMR 5246, CNRS, CPE, Villeurbanne, France
- Institut National Des Sciences Appliquées, INSA Lyon, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Laurent Soulère
- Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Institut de Chimie et de Biochimie Moléculaires et Supramoléculaires, UMR 5246, CNRS, CPE, Villeurbanne, France
- Institut National Des Sciences Appliquées, INSA Lyon, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Philippe Oger
- Microbiologie, Adaptation et Pathogénie, UMR 5240, Université de Lyon, Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Emiliano Altamura
- Chemistry Department, Università degli studi di Bari "Aldo Moro," Bari, Italy
| | - Florence Popowycz
- Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Institut de Chimie et de Biochimie Moléculaires et Supramoléculaires, UMR 5246, CNRS, CPE, Villeurbanne, France
- Institut National Des Sciences Appliquées, INSA Lyon, Villeurbanne, France
| | - René Buchet
- Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Institut de Chimie et de Biochimie Moléculaires et Supramoléculaires, UMR 5246, CNRS, CPE, Villeurbanne, France
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7
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Melosso M, Bizzocchi L, Gazzeh H, Tonolo F, Guillemin JC, Alessandrini S, Rivilla VM, Dore L, Barone V, Puzzarini C. Gas-phase identification of ( Z)-1,2-ethenediol, a key prebiotic intermediate in the formose reaction. Chem Commun (Camb) 2022; 58:2750-2753. [PMID: 35119446 DOI: 10.1039/d1cc06919e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Prebiotic sugars are thought to be formed on primitive Earth by the formose reaction. However, their formation is not fully understood and it is plausible that key intermediates could have formed in extraterrestrial environments and subsequently delivered on early Earth by cometary bodies. 1,2-Ethenediol, the enol form of glycolaldehyde, represents a highly reactive intermediate of the formose reaction and is likely detectable in the interstellar medium. Here, we report the identification and first characterization of (Z)-1,2-ethenediol by means of rotational spectroscopy. The title compound has been produced in the gas phase by flash vacuum pyrolysis of bis-exo-5-norbornene-2,3-diol at 750 °C, through a retro-Diels-Alder reaction. The spectral analysis was guided by high-level quantum-chemical calculations, which predicted spectroscopic parameters in very good agreement with the experiment. Our study provides accurate spectral data to be used for searches of (Z)-1,2-ethenediol in the interstellar space.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mattia Melosso
- Dipartimento di Chimica "Giacomo Ciamician", Università di Bologna, Via F. Selmi 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy. .,Scuola Superiore Meridionale, Università di Napoli Federico II, Largo San Marcellino 10, 80138 Naples, Italy
| | - Luca Bizzocchi
- Dipartimento di Chimica "Giacomo Ciamician", Università di Bologna, Via F. Selmi 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy. .,Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Houda Gazzeh
- Univ Rennes, Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Rennes, CNRS, ISCR - UMR6226, F-35000 Rennes, France.,Université de Monastir, Avenue Taher Hadded B. P 56, Monastir 5000, Tunisia
| | - Francesca Tonolo
- Dipartimento di Chimica "Giacomo Ciamician", Università di Bologna, Via F. Selmi 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy. .,Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Jean-Claude Guillemin
- Univ Rennes, Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Rennes, CNRS, ISCR - UMR6226, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Silvia Alessandrini
- Dipartimento di Chimica "Giacomo Ciamician", Università di Bologna, Via F. Selmi 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy. .,Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Víctor M Rivilla
- Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), Ctra. de Ajalvir Km. 4, Torrejón de Ardoz, 28850 Madrid, Spain.,INAF - Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, Largo E. Fermi 5, 50125 Florence, Italy
| | - Luca Dore
- Dipartimento di Chimica "Giacomo Ciamician", Università di Bologna, Via F. Selmi 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy.
| | - Vincenzo Barone
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Cristina Puzzarini
- Dipartimento di Chimica "Giacomo Ciamician", Università di Bologna, Via F. Selmi 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy.
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8
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Zdanovskaia MA, Esselman BJ, Kougias SM, Patel AR, Woods RC, McMahon RJ. The 130–360 GHz rotational spectrum of syn-2-cyano-1,3-butadiene (C5H5N) – a molecule of astrochemical relevance. Mol Phys 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/00268976.2021.1964629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Brian J. Esselman
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Samuel M. Kougias
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Aatmik R. Patel
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - R. Claude Woods
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Robert J. McMahon
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, USA
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9
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Sanz-Novo M, León I, Alonso ER, Kolesniková L, Alonso JL. Laboratory Detection of Cyanoacetic Acid: A Jet-Cooled Rotational Study. THE ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL 2021; 915:76. [PMID: 34711994 PMCID: PMC7611904 DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/ac013f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Herein we present a laboratory rotational study of cyanoacetic acid (CH2(CN)C(O)OH), an organic acid as well as a -CN bearing molecule, that is a candidate molecular system to be detected in the interstellar medium (ISM). Our investigation aims to provide direct experimental frequencies of cyanoacetic acid to guide its eventual astronomical search in low-frequency surveys. Using different jet-cooled rotational spectroscopic techniques in the time domain, we have determined a precise set of the relevant rotational spectroscopic constants, including the 14N nuclear quadrupole coupling constants for the two distinct structures, cis- and gauche- cyanoacetic acid. We believe this work will potentially allow the detection of cyanoacetic acid in the interstellar medium, whose rotational features have remained unknown until now.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Sanz-Novo
- Grupo de Espectroscopía Molecular (GEM), Edificio Quifima, Área de Química-Física, Laboratorios de Espectroscopía y Bioespectroscopía, Parque Científico UVa, Unidad Asociada CSIC, E-47011 Valladolid, Spain
| | - Iker León
- Grupo de Espectroscopía Molecular (GEM), Edificio Quifima, Área de Química-Física, Laboratorios de Espectroscopía y Bioespectroscopía, Parque Científico UVa, Unidad Asociada CSIC, E-47011 Valladolid, Spain
| | - Elena R. Alonso
- Departamento de Química Física, Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad del País Vasco (UPV/EHU), Barrio Sarriena s/n, 48940 Leioa, Spain
- Instituto Biofisika (UPV/EHU, CSIC), University of the Basque Country, Leioa, Spain
| | - Lucie Kolesniková
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, University of Chemistry and Technology, Technická 5, 166 28 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - José L. Alonso
- Grupo de Espectroscopía Molecular (GEM), Edificio Quifima, Área de Química-Física, Laboratorios de Espectroscopía y Bioespectroscopía, Parque Científico UVa, Unidad Asociada CSIC, E-47011 Valladolid, Spain
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10
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Woon DE. Quantum Chemical Cluster Studies of Cation-Ice Reactions for Astrochemical Applications: Seeking Experimental Confirmation. Acc Chem Res 2021; 54:490-497. [PMID: 33444014 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.0c00717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
ConspectusInterstellar clouds and the outer reaches of protostellar and protoplanetary systems are very cold environments where chemistry is limited to processes that have little or no reaction barrier (in the absence of external energy input). This account reviews what is known about cation-ice reactions, which are not currently incorporated in astrochemical network models. Quantum chemical cluster calculations using density functional theory have shown that barrierless reactions can occur when gas phase cations such as HCO+, OH+, CH3+, and C+ are deposited on an icy grain mantle with energies commensurate with other gas phase species. When cations react with molecules on ice surfaces, the pathways and products often differ significantly from gas phase chemistry due to the involvement of water and other molecules in the ice. The reactions studied to date have found pathways to abundant and important astromolecules such as methanol, formic acid, and carbon dioxide that are very favorable and may be more efficient pathways than gas phase processes. Other products that can be produced include glycolonitrile, its precursors, and related isocyanide compounds. This account describes for the first time ice surface reactions between the carbon cation, C+, and two common astromolecules, methanol (CH3OH) and formic acid (HCOOH), which can yield precursors to glyoxal, hydroxyketene, vinyl alcohol, and acetaldehyde. The quantum chemical methodology used to explore reaction surfaces is also used to predict both vibrational and electronic spectra of reactant and product ices, which offers guidance for possible experimental studies of these reactions. While theoretical calculations indicate that cation-ice reactions are efficient and offer novel pathways to important astrochemical compounds, experimental confirmation would be very welcome. Cations and ice-covered grain mantles are certainly present in cold astrophysical environments. The account concludes with a discussion of how cation-ice reactions could be incorporated into reaction network models of the formation and destruction of molecules in interstellar clouds and protoplanetary systems. Further studies will involve characterizing additional rcactions and more extensive treatment of the most important cation-ice reactions to better ascertain reaction branching outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- David E. Woon
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, 600 S. Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
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11
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Detection of Interstellar HC4NC and an Investigation of Isocyanopolyyne Chemistry under TMC-1 Conditions. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020. [DOI: 10.3847/2041-8213/aba631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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12
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Jiménez-Serra I, Martín-Pintado J, Rivilla VM, Rodríguez-Almeida L, Alonso Alonso ER, Zeng S, Cocinero EJ, Martín S, Requena-Torres M, Martín-Domenech R, Testi L. Toward the RNA-World in the Interstellar Medium-Detection of Urea and Search of 2-Amino-oxazole and Simple Sugars. ASTROBIOLOGY 2020; 20:1048-1066. [PMID: 32283036 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2019.2125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
In the past decade, astrochemistry has witnessed an impressive increase in the number of detections of complex organic molecules. Some of these species are of prebiotic interest such as glycolaldehyde, the simplest sugar, or aminoacetonitrile, a possible precursor of glycine. Recently, we have reported the detection of two new nitrogen-bearing complex organics, glycolonitrile and Z-cyanomethanimine, known to be intermediate species in the formation process of ribonucleotides within theories of a primordial RNA-world for the origin of life. In this study, we present deep and high-sensitivity observations toward two of the most chemically rich sources in the galaxy: a giant molecular cloud in the center of the Milky Way (G + 0.693-0.027) and a proto-Sun (IRAS16293-2422 B). Our aim is to explore whether the key precursors considered to drive the primordial RNA-world chemistry are also found in space. Our high-sensitivity observations reveal that urea is present in G + 0.693-0.027 with an abundance of ∼5 × 10-11. This is the first detection of this prebiotic species outside a star-forming region. Urea remains undetected toward the proto-Sun IRAS16293-2422 B (upper limit to its abundance of ≤2 × 10-11). Other precursors of the RNA-world chemical scheme such as glycolaldehyde or cyanamide are abundant in space, but key prebiotic species such as 2-amino-oxazole, glyceraldehyde, or dihydroxyacetone are not detected in either source. Future more sensitive observations targeting the brightest transitions of these species will be needed to disentangle whether these large prebiotic organics are certainly present in space.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Elena R Alonso Alonso
- Departamento de Química Física, Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad del País Vasco, (UPV-EHU), Bilbao, Spain
- Biofisika Institute (CSIC, UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
| | - Shaoshan Zeng
- School of Physics and Astronomy, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Emilio J Cocinero
- Departamento de Química Física, Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad del País Vasco, (UPV-EHU), Bilbao, Spain
- Biofisika Institute (CSIC, UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
| | - Sergio Martín
- European Southern Observatory, Vitacura, Chile
- Joint ALMA Observatory, Vitacura, Chile
| | | | | | - Leonardo Testi
- INAF-Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, Florence, Italy
- European Southern Observatory, Garching bei München, Germany
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13
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Kougias SM, Knezz SN, Owen AN, Sanchez RA, Hyland GE, Lee DJ, Patel AR, Esselman BJ, Woods RC, McMahon RJ. Synthesis and Characterization of Cyanobutadiene Isomers-Molecules of Astrochemical Significance. J Org Chem 2020; 85:5787-5798. [PMID: 32302481 DOI: 10.1021/acs.joc.9b03388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Four cyanobutadiene isomers of considerable interest to the organic chemistry, molecular spectroscopy, and astrochemistry communities were synthesized in good yields and isolated as pure compounds: (E)-1-cyano-1,3-butadiene (E-1), (Z)-1-cyano-1,3-butadiene (Z-1), 4-cyano-1,2-butadiene (2), and 2-cyano-1,3-butadiene (3). A diastereoselective synthesis was developed to generate (E)-1-cyano-1,3-butadiene (1) (10:1 E/Z) via tandem SN2 and E2' reactions. The potential energy surfaces of the E2' reactions leading to (E)- and (Z)-1-cyano-1,3-butadiene (1) were analyzed by density functional theory calculations, and the observed diastereoselectivity was rationalized in the context of the Curtin-Hammett principle. The preparation of pure samples of these reactive compounds enables measurement of their laboratory rotational spectra, which are the critical data needed to search for these species in space by radioastronomy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel M Kougias
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1101 University Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin 53706-1322, United States
| | - Stephanie N Knezz
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1101 University Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin 53706-1322, United States
| | - Andrew N Owen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1101 University Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin 53706-1322, United States
| | - Rodrigo A Sanchez
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1101 University Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin 53706-1322, United States
| | - Grace E Hyland
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1101 University Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin 53706-1322, United States
| | - Daniel J Lee
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1101 University Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin 53706-1322, United States
| | - Aatmik R Patel
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1101 University Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin 53706-1322, United States
| | - Brian J Esselman
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1101 University Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin 53706-1322, United States
| | - R Claude Woods
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1101 University Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin 53706-1322, United States
| | - Robert J McMahon
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1101 University Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin 53706-1322, United States
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14
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Bodo E, Bovolenta G, Simha C, Spezia R. On the formation of propylene oxide from propylene in space: gas-phase reactions. Theor Chem Acc 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00214-019-2485-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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15
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Nitrogen heterocycles form peptide nucleic acid precursors in complex prebiotic mixtures. Sci Rep 2019; 9:9281. [PMID: 31243303 PMCID: PMC6594999 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-45310-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2019] [Accepted: 05/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to store information is believed to have been crucial for the origin and evolution of life; however, little is known about the genetic polymers relevant to abiogenesis. Nitrogen heterocycles (N-heterocycles) are plausible components of such polymers as they may have been readily available on early Earth and are the means by which the extant genetic macromolecules RNA and DNA store information. Here, we report the reactivity of numerous N-heterocycles in highly complex mixtures, which were generated using a Miller-Urey spark discharge apparatus with either a reducing or neutral atmosphere, to investigate how N-heterocycles are modified under plausible prebiotic conditions. High throughput mass spectrometry was used to identify N-heterocycle adducts. Additionally, tandem mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy were used to elucidate reaction pathways for select reactions. Remarkably, we found that the majority of N-heterocycles, including the canonical nucleobases, gain short carbonyl side chains in our complex mixtures via a Strecker-like synthesis or Michael addition. These types of N-heterocycle adducts are subunits of the proposed RNA precursor, peptide nucleic acids (PNAs). The ease with which these carbonylated heterocycles form under both reducing and neutral atmospheres is suggestive that PNAs could be prebiotically feasible on early Earth.
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16
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Zapała J, Custer T, Guillemin JC, Gronowski M. Photochemistry of XCH 2CN (X = -Cl, -SH) in Argon Matrices. J Phys Chem A 2019; 123:3818-3830. [PMID: 30974940 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.9b01983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
We report infrared spectra and photochemical behavior of the potentially astrochemically significant species, mercaptoacetonitrile (HS-CH2C≡N) and, for comparison purposes, chloroacetonitrile (Cl-CH2C≡N), both suspended in an argon matrix at 6 K. Photolytic formation of the isocyano products HS-CH2-NC and Cl-CH2-NC were observed as well as CH3NSC and CH3SCN (in HS-CH2CN photolysis). While no dissociation products were observed for Cl-CH2-CN, photolysis of HS-CH2-CN produced compounds necessitating the loss of the CN group to form CH2═S, the SH group to form H2C-CN and HC-CN, or both CN and SH to form CH3 and CH4. Observation of emission spectra upon annealing indicates the presence of free sulfur atom in matrices of photolyzed HS-CH2-CN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Zapała
- Institute of Physical Chemistry , Polish Academy of Sciences , Kasprzaka 44/52 , PL-01-224 Warsaw , Poland
| | - Thomas Custer
- Institute of Physical Chemistry , Polish Academy of Sciences , Kasprzaka 44/52 , PL-01-224 Warsaw , Poland
| | - Jean-Claude Guillemin
- Université Rennes , Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Rennes , CNRS, ISCR-UMR6226 , F-35000 Rennes , France
| | - Marcin Gronowski
- Institute of Physical Chemistry , Polish Academy of Sciences , Kasprzaka 44/52 , PL-01-224 Warsaw , Poland
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17
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Bellili A, Gouid Z, Gazeau MC, Bénilan Y, Fray N, Guillemin JC, Hochlaf M, Schwell M. Single photon ionization of methyl isocyanide and the subsequent unimolecular decomposition of its cation: experiment and theory. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2019; 21:26017-26026. [DOI: 10.1039/c9cp04310a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Methyl isocyanide, CH3NC, is a key compound in astrochemistry and astrobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Bellili
- Université Paris-Est
- Laboratoire Modélisation et Simulation Multi Echelle
- MSME UMR 8208 CNRS
- 77454 Marne-la-Vallée
- France
| | - Z. Gouid
- Université Paris-Est
- Laboratoire Modélisation et Simulation Multi Echelle
- MSME UMR 8208 CNRS
- 77454 Marne-la-Vallée
- France
| | - M. C. Gazeau
- Laboratoire Interuniversitaire des Systèmes Atmosphériques
- LISA
- UMR CNRS 7583
- Université Paris-Est-Créteil
- Université de Paris
| | - Y. Bénilan
- Laboratoire Interuniversitaire des Systèmes Atmosphériques
- LISA
- UMR CNRS 7583
- Université Paris-Est-Créteil
- Université de Paris
| | - N. Fray
- Laboratoire Interuniversitaire des Systèmes Atmosphériques
- LISA
- UMR CNRS 7583
- Université Paris-Est-Créteil
- Université de Paris
| | - J. C. Guillemin
- Univ Rennes
- Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Rennes
- CNRS
- ISCR UMR6226
- F-35000 Rennes
| | - M. Hochlaf
- Université Paris-Est
- Laboratoire Modélisation et Simulation Multi Echelle
- MSME UMR 8208 CNRS
- 77454 Marne-la-Vallée
- France
| | - M. Schwell
- Laboratoire Interuniversitaire des Systèmes Atmosphériques
- LISA
- UMR CNRS 7583
- Université Paris-Est-Créteil
- Université de Paris
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