Direct evidence for a radiation-induced synthesis of acetonitrile and isoacetonitrile from a 1 : 1 CH₄⋯HCN complex at cryogenic temperatures: is it a missing link between inorganic and prebiotic astrochemistry?

Abstract

HNC complex was shown to decrease from Ar to Kr. It is believed that the proposed pathway for acetonitrile formation may be a significant step in the radiation-induced evolution leading to complex organic molecules and biomolecules under astrochemical conditions. Furthermore, the obtained results provide a prominent example of the impact of very weak intermolecular interactions on the radiation-induced transformations in cold media.

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