研究成果・発表論文

Theoretical Investigation into a Possibility of Formation of Propylene Oxide Homochirality in Space

Hori, Yuta,   Nakamura, Honami,   Sakawa, Takahide,   Watanabe, Natsuki,   Kayanuma, Megumi,   Shoji, Mitsuo,   Umemura, Masayuki,   & Shigeta, Yasuteru


要旨

The preferential synthesis or destruction of a single enantiomer by ultraviolet circularly polarized light (UV-CPL) has been proposed as a possible triggering mechanism for the extraterrestrial origin of homochirality. Herein, we investigate the photoabsorption property of propylene oxide (c-C3H6O) for UV-CPL in the Lyman-α region. Our calculations show that c-C3H6O was produced by CH3+ and CH3CH(OH)CH3 or C3H7 and O (triplet). The computed electronic circular dichroism spectra show that c-C3H6O and the intermediate (CH3CH(OH)CH2+) could absorb the UV-CPL originating from the Lyman-α emitter spectrum, suggesting that the photolysis of c-C3H6O or CH3CH(OH)CH2+ upon irradiation could induce chiral symmetry breakage.




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