Prebiotic Cytosine Synthesis from Urea in Interstellar Space: A Computational Mechanistic Study

The potential energy surfaces for the formation of cytosine (Cyt) and a protonated cytosine (CytH+) from reactions of urea with cyanoacetylene (CA), cyanoacetaldehyde (CAA), or their protonated ions, CAAH+ and CAH+ with or without H2O, have been determined from quantum chemical calculation using the CBS-QB3 method. The overall activation energies of the formation of Cyt or CytH+ from urea + CA, urea + CAA and, urea + CAH+ are 127, 211, and 31 kJ mol-1, respectively, which are too high for the thermal reactions to occur in the interstellar medium (ISM). The barrierless reaction pathways have been proposed for the formation of CytH+ from urea + CAH++ H2O and urea + CAAH+. A kinetic analysis shows that the synthesis of Cyt through the formation of CytH+ from urea, CAH+, and H2O would be possible in the ISM.