Chemists create space-like super unstable molecule methanetetrol for 1st time
A team of chemists has created methanetetrol—a super unstable molecule thought to exist in space—for the first time ever.
This breakthrough, led by Ryan Fortenberry, Ralf Kaiser, and Alexander Mebel, could help us understand how life's building blocks form beyond Earth.
How did they make it?
Researchers froze water and carbon dioxide to nearly absolute zero, then blasted them with simulated cosmic rays (just like in space).
That tricky process made methanetetrol appear as a gas, which they spotted using ultraviolet light.
Why is this important?
Methanetetrol can break down into things like water and hydrogen peroxide—important for life.
Making it under space-like conditions means it could naturally form on icy worlds out there.
If we spot methanetetrol in space someday, it might be a sign those places have the chemistry needed for life to start.