Scientists have created Methanetetrol, a 'super alcohol' previously found only in space, revealing new insights into interstellar chemistry and potential clues about life’s origins.
In a first, scientists have been able to synthesise Methanetetrol (C(OH)₄), a molecule that used to exist only in outer space before. This is the first time it has been created on Earth in laboratory conditions and will mark a major leap in space chemistry research.
Methanetetrol is composed of four hydroxyl groups (OH) attached to a single carbon atom, classifying it as a 'super alcohol'. Despite the name, it’s not usable in any practical way, especially not in beverages, as it disintegrates instantly upon exposure to light.
Its existence was predicted more than a century ago, but it had never been seen or created until now.
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To synthesize the molecule, an international team of researchers simulated interstellar environments. They froze a mixture of carbon dioxide and water at extremely low temperatures and then bombarded it with high-energy radiation, similar to what stars and supernovae emit in space. This process resulted in the formation of Methanetetrol.
The team confirmed that the findings shed light on the chemical reactions that take place in icy interstellar clouds and could expand the scope of future space chemistry research.
The recreation signifies that there may be more unstable molecules forming in space that have not previously been observed. They may be able to play a significant role in the formation of loife elsewhere in the universe.
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Methanetetrol is extremely unstable and disintegrates through dissociative photoionisation when exposed to light, making it nearly impossible to detect on Earth or in space. In the laboratory, scientists could only observe it for a brief moment before it broke down.
The same group of researchers discovered another molecule prior to this one. Experts say that this discovery is only the beginning of what the universe has to offer. Ralph Kaiser from the University of Hawaii commented, “This research gives a new direction to our understanding of the chemistry of space.”
Scientists indicate that there is a vast front which is still unexplored and estimate that only 1% space chemistry is known to us.
The development of Methanetetrol has been published as a report in the journal 'Nature Communications'.
