Selected ion flow tube studies of interest to the chemistry of ion-molecule reactions in the interstellar medium

The possibility of forming organic compounds such as amino acids in the gas phase from observed interstellar species through ion-molecule reactions has been investigated by three studies in a Selected Ion Flow Tube at 298 K. Experiments were conducted examining the reactions of carboxylic acid type ions with CH3NH2 and CH3CH2NH2, amine-fragment ions with HCOOH, CH3COOH, and CH3OCHO, and appropriate ions with H2COCH2-c and CH2CHCHO. The tendency of the neutrals in most cases was to undergo dissociative charge transfer or proton transfer upon reaction with the ions rather than combine to form a product of interest; however, + possible intermediates along a pathway to such a product of interest were formed via NH3+reactions resulting in H atom abstraction and NH4 3 body association reactions. Previously unreported reaction rate coefficients and product distributions useful to astrochemical models have also been determined.