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Title: HACA's Heritage: A Free-Radical Pathway to Phenanthrene in Circumstellar Envelopes of Asymptotic Giant Branch Stars

Journal Article · · Angewandte Chemie (International Edition)

The hydrogen-abstraction/acetylene-addition (HACA) mechanism has been central for the last decades in attempting to rationalize the formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) as detected in carbonaceous meteorites such as in Murchison. Nevertheless, the basic reaction mechanisms leading to the formation of even the simplest tricyclic PAHs like anthracene and phenanthrene are still elusive. Here, by exploring the previously unknown chemistry of the ortho-biphenylyl radical with acetylene, we deliver compelling evidence on the efficient synthesis of phenanthrene in carbon-rich circumstellar environments. However, the lack of formation of the anthracene isomer implies that HACA alone cannot be responsible for the formation of PAHs in extreme environments. Considering the overall picture, alternative pathways such as vinylacetylene-mediated reactions are required to play a crucial role in the synthesis of complex PAHs in circumstellar envelopes of dying carbon-rich stars.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Univ. of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Chemical Sciences, Geosciences, and Biosciences Division; Government of the Russian Federation
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-05CH11231; FG02‐03ER15411; FG02‐04ER15570; 14.Y26.31.0020; FG02-03ER15411; FG02-04ER15570
OSTI ID:
1464146
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1376753; OSTI ID: 1602963
Journal Information:
Angewandte Chemie (International Edition), Vol. 56, Issue 16; Related Information: © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim; ISSN 1433-7851
Publisher:
WileyCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 44 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (16)

Low-temperature formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Titan’s atmosphere journal October 2018
Synthesis of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons by Phenyl Addition–Dehydrocyclization: The Third Way journal November 2019
Valence Photoionization of Thymine: Ionization Energies, Vibrational Structure, and Fragmentation Pathways from the Slow to the Ultrafast journal October 2019
Pyrene synthesis in circumstellar envelopes and its role in the formation of 2D nanostructures journal March 2018
Implications for Extraterrestrial Hydrocarbon Chemistry: Analysis of Acetylene (C 2 H 2 ) and D2-acetylene (C 2 D 2 ) Ices Exposed to Ionizing Radiation via Ultraviolet–Visible Spectroscopy, Infrared Spectroscopy, and Reflectron Time-of-flight Mass Spectrometry journal January 2020
Gas‐Phase Synthesis of Triphenylene (C 18 H 12 ) journal February 2019
A Unified Mechanism on the Formation of Acenes, Helicenes, and Phenacenes in the Gas Phase journal March 2020
Synthesizing carbon nanotubes in space journal October 2019
Gas phase synthesis of [4]-helicene journal April 2019
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon formation chemistry in a plasma jet revealed by IR-UV action spectroscopy journal January 2020
Synthesis of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons by Phenyl Addition-Dehydrocyclization: The Third Way journal October 2019
Valence Photoionization of Thymine: Ionization Energies, Vibrational Structure, and Fragmentation Pathways from the Slow to the Ultrafast text January 2019
A Unified Mechanism on the Formation of Acenes, Helicenes, and Phenacenes in the Gas Phase journal January 2020
Gas‐Phase Synthesis of Triphenylene (C 18 H 12 ) journal March 2019
Synthesizing carbon nanotubes in space text January 2019
A Combined Experimental and Computational Study on the Reaction Dynamics of the 1-Propynyl (CH 3 CC)–Acetylene (HCCH) System and the Formation of Methyldiacetylene (CH 3 CCCCH) journal July 2018