Researchers from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s Department of Chemistry have successfully created methanetetrol, a molecule thought to be too unstable for natural existence. By replicating extreme conditions similar to those found in deep space, they’ve provided new insights into how complex chemical reactions occur in the cosmos.
Methanetetrol is an alcohol with four hydroxyl groups bonded to a single carbon atom, making it unique among known compounds. The team created this molecule by mimicking interstellar clouds’ frigid environment and exposing materials to intense radiation. This process triggered a series of chemical reactions leading to methanetetrol’s formation.
The discovery shows that outer space may host diverse and unexpected chemical reactions, critical for understanding the formation of organic molecules – building blocks of life. By proving methanetetrol can form under cosmic conditions, the team has revealed a surprising pathway for complex compounds’ evolution in icy dust clouds where stars and planets form.
The research team used powerful vacuum ultraviolet light to detect tiny amounts of methanetetrol made from water and carbon dioxide. They found that high-energy particles mimicked cosmic rays triggered these chemical reactions. The findings push the boundaries of chemistry and astronomy, opening a door to further discoveries about life’s ingredients emerging in space.
This breakthrough demonstrates that the universe is chemically dynamic than previously imagined, with implications for our understanding of the origins of complex compounds.
Source: https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-create-impossible-molecule-solving-century-old-chemical-mystery