Benzene Formation on Interstellar Icy Mantles Containing Propargyl Alcohol

Sivaraman, Bhalamurugan; Mukherjee, Rupa; Subramanian, K. P.; Banerjee, Sudeep

doi:10.1088/0004-637x/798/2/72

Cited by 14 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 18 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The gas phase reaction of diacetylene with dicarbon was shown to produce the 1, 3, 5-hexatriynyl radical, a PAH precursor (Zhang et al 2009b). Recently, Sivaraman et al (2015) showed that the irradiation of propargyl alcohol produced benzene as the major product, which further supports that this molecule can be synthesized in the ice. Also, Jones et al (2011) showed that benzene is able to be synthesized in the gas phase via the reaction of the ethynyl radical and 1, 3-butadiene.…”

Section: Astrophysical Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 59%

Implications for Extraterrestrial Hydrocarbon Chemistry: Analysis of Ethylene (C₂H₄) and D4-Ethylene (C₂D₄) Ices Exposed to Ionizing Radiation via Combined Infrared Spectroscopy and Reflectron Time-of-flight Mass Spectrometry

Abplanalp

Kaiser

2017

ApJ

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The processing of the hydrocarbon ice, ethylene (C 2 H 4 /C 2 D 4), via energetic electrons, thus simulating the processes in the track of galactic cosmic-ray particles, was carried out in an ultrahigh vacuum apparatus. The chemical evolution of the ices was monitored online and in situ utilizing Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and during temperature programmed desorption, via a quadrupole mass spectrometer utilizing electron impact ionization (EI-QMS) and a reflectron time-of-flight mass spectrometer utilizing a photoionization source (PI-ReTOF-MS). Several previous in situ studies of ethylene ice irradiation using FTIR were substantiated with the detection of six products: [CH 4 (CD 4)], acetylene [C 2 H 2 (C 2 D 2)], the ethyl radical [C 2 H 5 (C 2 D 5)], ethane [C 2 H 6 (C 2 D 6)], 1-butene [C 4 H 8 (C 4 D 8)], and n-butane [C 4 H 10 (C 4 D 10)]. Contrary to previous gas phase studies, the PI-ReTOF-MS detected several groups of hydrocarbon with varying degrees of saturation: C n H 2n+2 (n=4-10), C n H 2n (n=2-12, 14, 16), C n H 2n−2 (n=3-12, 14, 16), C n H 2n−4 (n=4-12, 14, 16), C n H 2n−6 (n=4-10, 12), C n H 2n−8 (n=6-10), and C n H 2n−10 (n=6-10). Multiple laboratory studies have shown the facile production of ethylene from methane, which is a known ice constituent in the interstellar medium. Various astrophysically interesting molecules can be associated with the groups detected here, such as allene/methylacetylene (C 3 H 4) or 1, 3-butadiene (C 4 H 6) and its isomers, which have been shown to lead to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Finally, several hydrocarbon groups detected here are unique to ethylene ice versus ethane ice and may provide understanding of how complex hydrocarbons form in astrophysical environments.

show abstract

Section: Astrophysical Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 59%

Implications for Extraterrestrial Hydrocarbon Chemistry: Analysis of Ethylene (C₂H₄) and D4-Ethylene (C₂D₄) Ices Exposed to Ionizing Radiation via Combined Infrared Spectroscopy and Reflectron Time-of-flight Mass Spectrometry

Abplanalp

Kaiser

2017

ApJ

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Sharath et al (2014) carried out an experiment to study the thermal decomposition of PA, and found the products to include OH and C 3 H 3 , suggesting that PA could be a precursor to benzene formation. In addition, Sivaraman et al (2015) found that benzene is the major product from PA irradiation, and suggested that the dissociation of PA plays a key role in the synthesize of benzene in interstellar icy mantles.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Possibility of Forming Propargyl Alcohol in the Interstellar Medium

Gorai

Das

Majumdar

et al. 2017

Molecular Astrophysics

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Propargyl alcohol (HC 2 CH 2 OH, PA) has yet to be observed in the interstellar medium (ISM) although one of its stable isomers, propenal (CH 2 CHCHO), has already been detected in Sagittarius B2(N) with the 100-meter Green Bank Telescope in the frequency range 18 − 26 GHz. In this paper, we investigate the formation of propargyl alcohol along with one of its deuterated isotopomers, HC 2 CH 2 OD (OD-PA), in a dense molecular cloud. Various pathways for the formation of PA in the gas and on ice mantles surrounding dust particles are discussed. We use a large gas-grain chemical network to study the chemical evolution of PA and its deuterated isotopomer. Our results suggest that gaseous HC 2 CH 2 OH can most likely be detected in hot cores or in collections of hot cores such as the star-forming region Sgr B2(N). A simple LTE (Local thermodynamic equilibrium) radiative transfer model is employed to check the possibility of detecting PA and OD-PA in the millimeter-wave regime. In addition, we have carried out quantum chemical calculations to compute the vibrational transition frequencies and intensities of these species in the infrared for perhaps future use in studies with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).

show abstract

“…Photodissociation of carbonaceous grains in the ISM can also lead to the production of smaller PAHs and benzene (Duley et al, 2014). Laboratory investigations of benzene formation on icy mantles in the ISM from propargyl alcohol (Sivaraman et al, 2014) and the ethynyl radical and 1,3butadiene (Jones et al, 2011) have also been undertaken. More recent experiments have also shown that benzene can be synthesised in the solid phase via galactic cosmic ray exposure of low temperature acetylene ices on Titan's surface (Abplanalp et al, 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using Laboratory Investigations to Aid the Identification of Small Aromatic Molecules in Water-Containing Astrophysical Ices

Salter

Stubbing

Brigham

et al. 2021

Front. Astron. Space Sci.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons such as benzene, toluene and xylene are thought to play an important role as precursors to the formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their methylated counterparts in a range of astrophysical environments. Benzene has been detected in two carbon rich objects and models have predicted that it could also be present in the interstellar medium (ISM). It has hence been speculated that small aromatic molecules are present in molecular clouds in the ISM, although they have not been detected to date. If they are present in the ISM, they are likely to exist in water-ice dominated icy mantles on the surface of dust grains.We present a laboratory study of benzene, toluene and two xylene isomers (ortho- and para-xylene) in the presence of water ice on a carbonaceous model dust grain surface (highly oriented pyrolytic graphite, HOPG). Temperature programmed desorption (TPD) shows how the desorption of the molecules is affected by the presence of water ice. The importance of these data for astrophysical situations is demonstrated by the use of TPD-derived kinetic parameters to generate a simple model of desorption in dense molecular clouds on an astrophysical timescale. Since benzene, toluene and xylene have not been detected in water-dominated icy mantles to date, desorption has been simulated in a range of different water-containing environments to show the different behaviour expected depending on ice composition. The simulations demonstrate how future observations of aromatic molecules in dense molecular clouds at known temperatures could reveal which environments the molecules are in. Data from these experiments are also used to predict the behaviour of other, larger, aromatic molecules such as PAHs. Reflection absorption infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS) is also used to record the infrared spectra of the small molecules in different water ice configurations. These spectra can be used to aid identification of these icy aromatics in future observations, such as those that will be possible with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). In all cases, spectra of mixed ices consisting of the aromatic molecule and amorphous water ice show evidence of interactions between the water ice and the aromatic species.

show abstract

Benzene Formation on Interstellar Icy Mantles Containing Propargyl Alcohol

Cited by 14 publications

References 18 publications

Implications for Extraterrestrial Hydrocarbon Chemistry: Analysis of Ethylene (C₂H₄) and D4-Ethylene (C₂D₄) Ices Exposed to Ionizing Radiation via Combined Infrared Spectroscopy and Reflectron Time-of-flight Mass Spectrometry

Implications for Extraterrestrial Hydrocarbon Chemistry: Analysis of Ethylene (C₂H₄) and D4-Ethylene (C₂D₄) Ices Exposed to Ionizing Radiation via Combined Infrared Spectroscopy and Reflectron Time-of-flight Mass Spectrometry

The Possibility of Forming Propargyl Alcohol in the Interstellar Medium

Using Laboratory Investigations to Aid the Identification of Small Aromatic Molecules in Water-Containing Astrophysical Ices

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About

Benzene Formation on Interstellar Icy Mantles Containing Propargyl Alcohol

Cited by 14 publications

References 18 publications

Implications for Extraterrestrial Hydrocarbon Chemistry: Analysis of Ethylene (C2H4) and D4-Ethylene (C2D4) Ices Exposed to Ionizing Radiation via Combined Infrared Spectroscopy and Reflectron Time-of-flight Mass Spectrometry

Implications for Extraterrestrial Hydrocarbon Chemistry: Analysis of Ethylene (C2H4) and D4-Ethylene (C2D4) Ices Exposed to Ionizing Radiation via Combined Infrared Spectroscopy and Reflectron Time-of-flight Mass Spectrometry

The Possibility of Forming Propargyl Alcohol in the Interstellar Medium

Using Laboratory Investigations to Aid the Identification of Small Aromatic Molecules in Water-Containing Astrophysical Ices

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About

Implications for Extraterrestrial Hydrocarbon Chemistry: Analysis of Ethylene (C₂H₄) and D4-Ethylene (C₂D₄) Ices Exposed to Ionizing Radiation via Combined Infrared Spectroscopy and Reflectron Time-of-flight Mass Spectrometry

Implications for Extraterrestrial Hydrocarbon Chemistry: Analysis of Ethylene (C₂H₄) and D4-Ethylene (C₂D₄) Ices Exposed to Ionizing Radiation via Combined Infrared Spectroscopy and Reflectron Time-of-flight Mass Spectrometry