Aminomethanol has been predicted to be the precursor to glycine in star-forming regions. It is also thought to form readily via radical-radical recombination reactions on icy grains during stellar formation. Aminomethanol is highly reactive and therefore has not been previously studied via gas-phase rotational spectroscopy. We are using O(1D) insertion reactions into methylamine to produce aminomethanol so that it can be characterized via millimeter and submillimeter rotational spectroscopy. To do this, we combine ozone and methylamine in a novel photolysis source that enables mixing immediately before the photolysis region. The ozone is subsequently photolyzed to make O(1D), which readily and exothermically inserts into C-H bonds. The products are cooled in a supersonic expansion and probed via direct absorption multipass millimeter and submillimeter spectroscopy. A range of products from the O(1D) insertion reactions as well as dark products from the reaction of ozone and methylamine have been observed. We have coupled this work with computational studies of the possible products of the O(1D) + methylamine insertion reactions so that spectral assignments can be made. In this talk, we will present the laboratory and computational results from these studies. We will also report on our progress toward the analysis of the aminomethanol spectrum and compare the laboratory measurements to observations of star-forming regions.

Spectroscopic, theoretical, and observational study of aminomethanol, a predicted interstellar precursor to glycine

255th National Meeting (2018)

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