Interstellar Formation of Nitrogen Heteroaromatics [Indole, C₈H₇N; Pyrrole, C₄H₅N; Aniline, C₆H₅NH₂]: Key Precursors to Amino Acids and Nucleobases

Nitrogen-substituted polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (NPAHs) are not only fundamental building blocks in the prebiotic synthesis of vital biomolecules such as amino acids and nucleobases of DNA and RNA but also a potential source of the prominent unidentified 6.2 μm interstellar absorption band. Although NPAHs have been detected in meteorites and are believed to be ubiquitous in the universe, their formation mechanisms in deep space have remained largely elusive. Here, we report the first bottom-up formation pathways to the simplest prototype of NPAHs, indole (C₈H₇N), along with its building blocks pyrrole (C₄H₅N) and aniline (C₆H₅NH₂) in low-temperature model interstellar ices composed of acetylene (C₂H₂) and ammonia (NH₃). Utilizing the isomer-selective techniques of resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization and tunable vacuum ultraviolet photoionization reflectron time-of-flight mass spectrometry, indole, pyrrole, and aniline were identified in the gas phase, suggesting that they are promising candidates for future astronomical searches in star-forming regions. Our laboratory experiments utilizing infrared spectroscopy and mass spectrometry in tandem with electronic structure calculations reveal critical insights into the reaction pathways toward NPAHs and their precursors, thus advancing our fundamental understanding of the interstellar formation of aromatic proteinogenic amino acids and nucleobases, key classes of molecules central to the <i>Origins of Life</i>.