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Updated: Feb 28, 2026

Curation of Computational Chemical Libraries Demonstrated with Alpha-Amino Acids
Published on: April 13, 2022
Astrochemistry: The building blocks of life in the universe
1Institute of Astronomy Space and Earth Science, P177, CIT Road, Scheme 7m, Kolkata, 700054, West Bengal, India; Max-Planck-Institute for extraterrestrial Physics, P.O. Box 1312, 85741, Garching, Munich, Germany.
Abstract:
This Special Issue brings together eleven articles that collectively advance our understanding of molecular formation, transformation, and survival across a broad range of astrophysical environments. The contributions investigate radiation-driven chemistry, ice-mediated processes, the evolution of complex organic molecules, and the coupled physical-chemical structure of protostellar and hot-core regions through a combination of laboratory experiments, theoretical modeling, and astronomical observations. Together, the studies demonstrate how key factors-including irradiation, temperature, elemental abundance ratios, ice composition, and dynamical structure-govern the chemistry of both simple and complex species. As a whole, this collection provides an integrated perspective on the processes that build, preserve, and observationally reveal molecular complexity throughout the interstellar medium.
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