article summary said:
Summary: Chemical reactions once thought to be 'impossible' in the incredible coldness of space can actually occur thanks to a phenomenon called ‘quantum tunnelling.' This also could mean that biochemical reactions occur in places once considered too frigid for life, like Saturn's moon Titan.
New research has revealed that chemical reactions previously thought to be 'impossible' in space actually occur 'with vigour,' a discovery that could ultimately change our understanding of how alcohols are formed and destroyed in space - and which could also mean that places like Saturn's moon Titan, once considered too cold for life to form, may have a shortcut for biochemical reactions.
A team at the University of Leeds, UK recreated the cold environment of space in the laboratory and observed a reaction of the alcohol methanol and an oxidising chemical called the ‘hydroxyl radical’ at minus 210 degrees Celsius. They found that not only do these gases react to create methoxy radicals at such an incredibly cold temperature, but that
the rate of reaction is 50 times faster than at room temperature.
