Experimental study of water-ice catalyzed thermal isomerization of cyanamide into carbodiimide: implication for prebiotic chemistry

J Am Chem Soc. 2004 Jun 30;126(25):7772-3. doi: 10.1021/ja048721b.

Abstract

Cyanamide (NH2CN) is a molecule of interstellar interest which can be implied in prebiotic chemistry. We showed, by FTIR spectroscopy, that cyanamide can be isomerized in carbodiimide (HNCNH), another interstellar relevant molecule, by a reaction involving the amorphous water-ice surface as catalyst. This isomerization occurs at low temperature (T < 100 K) which agrees quite well with that expected in the interstellar clouds composed of dust grains in which water is the most predominant constituent.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Carbodiimides / chemistry*
  • Catalysis
  • Chemistry, Organic
  • Cyanamide / chemistry*
  • Hot Temperature
  • Ice*
  • Isomerism
  • Organic Chemistry Phenomena
  • Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared / methods
  • Water / chemistry*

Substances

  • Carbodiimides
  • Ice
  • Water
  • Cyanamide