Chemistry on dust-grain surfaces is responsible for the production of many important interstellar chemical species, including gas-phase H2, grain-surface ices such as water, ammonia and methanol, and arguably some of the most complex molecules detected in star-forming regions. Recently, however, our view of which classes of chemical mechanism are important for grain-surface/ice-mantle chemistry has been shifting. A major driver in this shift has been the gas-phase detection of complex organic molecules (COMs) such as methyl formate (HCOOCH3) in cold pre-stellar cores. While there may also exist plausible gas-phase routes to such molecules, grain-surface chemistry is a natural avenue of research to explain cold COMs. The detection of these molecules in pre-stellar cores has also pushed back the astronomical clock on COM production, to a time much earlier than the warm proto-stellar stage in which they are usually detected in rather greater abundance. I will discuss new grain-surface/ice-mantle chemical mechanisms considered in the literature (such as the explicit modeling of cosmic ray-induced ice radiolysis), as well as new ways to consider existing processes. In particular, I will present a more comprehensive theoretical kinetic treatment of non-diffusive processes of various kinds within and upon interstellar ices (for use in gas-grain astrochemical models), which provides better agreement with low-temperature production of COMs, both in space and in the lab. I will also discuss how this modeling approach affects our picture of COM production in warm/hot star-forming regions, and highlight key chemical/physical parameters that need to be better understood.

Advances in modeling interstellar grain-surface chemistry

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

[Author Benefits](https://scimeetings.acs.org/?utm_source=pubs_content_marketing&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=0320_MCF_NPI_Launch_Spring_Homepage&ref=pubs_content_marketing)

[How to use SciMeetings](https://storage.googleapis.com/dl.morressier.com/acs/SciMeetings-ACSSpring2020-HowToGuide_M3020-Final.pdf)

[Frequently Asked Questions](https://storage.googleapis.com/dl.morressier.com/acs/SciMtng_ACSNMSp2020_FAQ_M3120_Final.pdf)

ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.