For the first time, researchers have successfully synthesized and characterized a rare molecule called methanetetrol, which has four hydroxyl groups linked to a carbon atom. The team used an unconventional method involving interstellar conditions simulated in their lab to create this exotic environment.
Led by Ralf Kaiser from the University of Hawaii at Mānoa, researchers exposed a mixture of carbon dioxide and water to highly energetic electron beams under ultra-high vacuum conditions and temperatures close to absolute zero. This caused unusual chemical reactions that led to the formation of methanetetrol.
The team used a combination of computational and experimental techniques to detect the presence of methanetetrol. They combined photoionization, which involves using powerful UV light to split molecules into smaller ions, with mass spectrometry to identify specific fragments. To confirm their findings, researchers used marked carbon dioxide and deuterium oxide, which produced peaks specific to methanetetrol.
The successful synthesis of methanetetrol confirms a long-standing hypothesis made by physical chemist Ernst Wilke in 1922. This discovery opens up new possibilities for research into the properties of this molecule and its potential applications. Kaiser is already planning his next experiment, which involves synthesizing tetrahydroperoxymethane, a methane attached to four hydroperoxyl groups.
Source: https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/strange-tetra-alcohol-synthesised-in-simulated-interstellar-ice/4021940.article