A New "Non-energetic" Route to Complex Organic Molecules in Astrophysical Environments: The C + H${}_2$O $\to$ H${}_2$CO Solid-state Reaction

Abstract

The solid-state reaction C + H${}_2$O $\to$ H${}_2$CO was studied experimentally following the codeposition of C atoms and H${}_2$O molecules at low temperatures. In spite of the reaction barrier and absence of energetic triggering, the reaction proceeds fast on the experimental timescale pointing to its quantum tunneling mechanism. This route to formaldehyde shows a new "non-energetic" pathway to complex organic and prebiotic molecules in astrophysical environments. Energetic processing of the produced ice by UV irradiation leads mainly to the destruction of H${}_2$CO and the formation of CO${}_2$ challenging the role of energetic processing in the synthesis of complex organic molecules under astrophysically relevant conditions.

to appear in APJ

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Cited by in corpus (8)

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• Formation of extraterrestrial peptides and their derivatives
• Pristine ices in a planet-forming disk revealed by heavy water
• Carbon Isotope Fractionation of Complex Organic Molecules in Star-Forming Cores
• Piecing together formic acid isomerism in dark clouds. Detection of cis-formic acid in TMC-1 and astrochemical modeling
• Observational studies on S-bearing molecules in massive star forming regions
• Spatial distribution of organics in the Horsehead nebula: Signposts of chemistry driven by atomic carbon