Chiral glycine formation on cold interstellar grains by quantum tunneling hydrogen–deuterium substitution reactions

•We experimentally studied the formation of chiral molecules in molecular clouds.•Chiral glycine can form by low-temperature surface reactions.•Quantum tunneling is necessary for the reaction to proceed. We report experimental evidence that chiral glycine (NH2CHDCOOH) is formed by the surface reacti...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Chemical physics letters 2015-08, Vol.634, p.53-59
Main Authors: Oba, Yasuhiro, Watanabe, Naoki, Osamura, Yoshihiro, Kouchi, Akira
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:•We experimentally studied the formation of chiral molecules in molecular clouds.•Chiral glycine can form by low-temperature surface reactions.•Quantum tunneling is necessary for the reaction to proceed. We report experimental evidence that chiral glycine (NH2CHDCOOH) is formed by the surface reaction of normal glycine (NH2CH2COOH) solid with deuterium (D) atom at 12K under the simulative conditions of interstellar molecular clouds. Chiral glycine formation is most likely initiated by the tunneling abstraction reaction of H atom by D atom followed by the addition of D atom to the glycine radical (NH2CHCOOH). Given that chiral glycine can form in such a primordial low-temperature environment, it might source molecular chirality as molecular clouds evolve into planetary systems.
ISSN:0009-2614
1873-4448
DOI:10.1016/j.cplett.2015.05.070