Hydrogen cyanide and hydrocarbons mix on Titan
Artikel i vetenskaplig tidskrift, 2025
This work reveals a striking exception to the well-established rule in chemistry that polar and nonpolar compounds do not spontaneously mix: insertion of methane, ethane, and other small hydrocarbons into the crystal lattice of hydrogen cyanide (HCN), a highly polar molecule. By mixing these components at cryogenic temperatures, we can observe distinct shifts in vibrational modes using Raman spectroscopy. Our computational predictions confirm that cocrystal structures of HCN and ethane, which match our experimental vibrational shifts closely, are thermodynamically and kinetically stable. Given that methane, ethane, and HCN are major components of the atmosphere and surface of Saturn’s moon Titan—where they play key roles in shaping chemistry, weather, and landscape—our findings may prove instrumental for explaining Titan’s chemical and geological evolution.
hydrogen cyanide
cocrystals
quantum chemistry
planetary science
astrochemistry
Författare
Fernando Izquierdo Ruiz
Chalmers, Kemi och kemiteknik, Kemi och biokemi
Universidad Complutense de Madrid
Morgan L. Cable
California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
Robert Hodyss
California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
Tuan H. Vu
California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
Hilda Sandström
Chalmers, Kemi och kemiteknik, Kemi och biokemi
Alvaro Lobato Fernandez
Universidad Complutense de Madrid
Chalmers, Kemi och kemiteknik, Kemi och biokemi
Martin Rahm
Chalmers, Kemi och kemiteknik, Kemi och biokemi
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
0027-8424 (ISSN) 1091-6490 (eISSN)
Vol. 122 30 e2507522122Nya material med relevans för livets ursprung och planetforskning
Vetenskapsrådet (VR) (2016-04127), 2017-01-01 -- 2020-12-31.
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Vetenskapsrådet (VR) (2020-04305), 2021-01-01 -- 2024-12-31.
Ämneskategorier (SSIF 2025)
Teoretisk kemi
Fysikalisk kemi
DOI
10.1073/pnas.2507522122
PubMed
40699932