Chemical Science Archives

Proposed formation pathways of biorelevant molecules (red arrows) in hydrogen cyanide (HCN)-containing interstellar ices and their role as precursors to biorelevant molecules such as amino acids and nucleobases. In prebiotic chemistry, hydrogen cyanide (1) plays a fundamental role in the synthesis of amino acids such as glycine (2) and nucleobases including adenine (3) (bold black arrows) and guanine (4) through nonequilibrium chemistry. Notably, 5, 11, 14–16, and 18 have been detected in the interstellar medium; 2–4 have been identified in carbonaceous asteroid Bennu and various chondrites like Murchison meteorite. -- Chemical Science

Astrochemistry, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Status Report

Abiotic Formation Of Nitrile Precursors To Amino Acids And Nucleobases In Interstellar Ice Analogues

by Keith CowingJanuary 30, 2026June 10, 2026

Amino acids and the five canonical nucleobases have been identified in carbonaceous meteorites such as Murchison and Murray; however, their formation mechanisms under interstellar conditions have remained largely elusive.

Evidence for the formation of two-center one-electron (2c–1e) bonds in the predissociation complexes of the radical cations in ethanolamine (A), propanol (B), butanenitrile (C), and glycolamide (D). The ELF basins are shown in the left column, the projections into the heavy atom planes are shown in the second column, the spin densities for the unpaired electrons are shown in the third column, and the 2c–1e AdNDP orbitals are shown in the right column. -- Chemical Science

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report

What Drives The Formation Of Unsaturated Molecules In The Interstellar Medium?

by Keith CowingJanuary 20, 2025January 19, 2025

We present a computational investigation into the fragmentation pathways of ethanolamine (C2H7NO, EtA), propanol (C3H8O, PrO), butanenitrile (C4H7N, BuN), and glycolamide (C2H5NO2, GlA)—saturated organic molecules detected in the interstellar medium […]