Electric Fields Can Assist Prebiotic Reactivity on Hydrogen Cyanide Surfaces.

ABSTRACT: Hydrogen cyanide (HCN) is present in many astrochemical environments, including interstellar clouds and comets. On Saturn's moon Titan, large amounts of HCN ice are present in the atmosphere and, following surface deposition, may influence both chemical and geological evolution. However, despite HCN's relevance to origin of life chemistry, the physiochemical properties of its solid state remain poorly characterized. For example, the crystals of HCN exhibit a range of rare properties, including pyroelectricity, and the ability to glow and jump under certain conditions. Here we use quantum chemical methods to predict HCN crystal surface energies, from which we derive the needle-like, high-aspect-ratio morphology of HCN nanocrystals. The predicted tips expose high-energy polar facets imbued w

SUBMITTER: Cappelletti M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12856676 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature