Scientists Have Obtained an “Impossible” Molecule Predicted In the Last Century

A molecule that breaks chemical rules was discovered by scientists from Samara University as part of an international research team. Its presence in space was suggested more than a hundred years ago, but until now there has been no confirmation of this substance's existence. The results are presented in Nature Communications.

The possibility of the existence of the elusive molecule methanetetraol – C(OH)4 – was predicted by chemists over a hundred years ago, despite its “impossible” structure. According to classical chemical laws, such a structure is too unstable. It should instantly disintegrate, breaking down into water and other substances, said scientists from Samara National Research University.

University specialists, together with colleagues from China and the United States, have for the first time proven that methanetetraol exists, both theoretically and practically – the elusive molecule was detected by laboratory equipment during the formation of simulated cosmic ice.

“Substances with a carbon framework and multiple OH groups are widely used as environmentally friendly solvents or components of adhesive materials in industry. All of them are more complex in structure “relatives” of methanetetraol, but no one has ever seen its simplest “ancestor”. We not only discovered and isolated this elusive molecule, but also understood the conditions under which it can exist,” added Anatoly Nikolaev, a junior research fellow at the Physics and Chemistry of Combustion research laboratory at Samara University.

The scientist clarified that space is rich in atoms of all the constituent atoms of a molecule, which can form methane tetrahydrofuran at low temperatures under the influence of hard radiation. In laboratory experiments, the substance “manifests” in a vacuum under the influence of high-energy ultraviolet rays and a temperature of about -120ºC on a mixture of carbon dioxide and water.

“We recreated cosmic ices in the lab and discovered this strictly symmetrical structure. Because of its structure, it can only be detected in 'full-scale' space using infrared radiation, while modern equipment operates in the microwave range. Perhaps in the future, an instrument will be developed that will allow us to 'reveal' methanetetraol around us,” Nikolaev added.

This molecule, which contradicts classical chemistry, raises new questions for the scientific community, as it calls into question one of the fundamental rules of modern science regarding the stability of the structure of organic molecules, the specialist emphasized. Experts will continue to search for substances that “defy common sense” in simulated space conditions.

Source: ria.ru