Unraveling the origins of life: Scientists discover ‘cool’ sugar acid formation in space
Formation of glyceric acid in interstellar ices. The preparation of glyceric acid (1) in low-temperature ices containing carbon dioxide and ethylene glycol (16) is accomplished through energetic processing by GCR proxies. This process involves carbon-carbon bond coupling via recombination of the hydroxycarbonyl radical (HOĊO, 11) with the 1,2-dihydroxyethyl radical (HOĊHCH2OH, 17). Glyceric acid (1) serves