PRIN 2020 ARES-A Road from Earth to the Stars (DCM.AD007.236)
Thematic area
Chemical sciences and materials technology
Project area
Chimica e materiali per la salute e le scienze della vita (DCM.AD007)Structure responsible for the research project
Institute of chemistry of organometallic compounds (ICCOM)
Other structures collaborating in the research project
Project manager
STEFANO LEGNAIOLI
Phone number: 0503152221
Email: stefano.legnaioli@cnr.it
Abstract
Among the challenges that humankind is called to face, the chemistry of Earth's atmosphere and the chemistry of the interstellar medium are two of the main topics, indeed holding the greatest challenges: the fight against climate change (with pollution playing a key role) and the origin of life. Focusing on the atmosphere, the question is: what can we do for our planet? Among the possible issues, we decided to tackle chemical pollutants in the troposphere. However, in our "road from Earth to the stars", we meet a severe threat for the future of our stratosphere: space-flights' emissions. Exiting our atmosphere and then leaving our solar systems, we dive into the mystery of the interstellar medium: despite being a harsh environment, its chemistry is undisputedly rich, and might have played a role in the origin of life. For different reasons, the atmospheric and astrochemical challenges addressed above call for urgent action. We envisaged this in the integration of experiment and theory: the combination of innovative developments both in instrumentation and in computational methodologies, thus going well beyond the state of the art.
Goals
The specific objectives of the project are:
-To model the chemistry of Earth's troposphere. The goal is to improve the knowledge of chemical networks for the chemistry of the troposphere by identifying a set of key reactions lacking in thermochemical and kinetic information and then by performing a complete, accurate characterization including photochemical studies.
(-To model the impact of rocket emissions on the stratosphere. The aim is to establish a protocol to monitor the changes in the averaged stratospheric composition.
-To model the chemistry of an interstellar cloud. The goal is to understand how molecules are formed in the harsh conditions of the interstellar medium and how far chemical complexity can proceed.
(-To spectroscopically characterize key molecular species.
-To study the evolution from prebiotic molecules to the origin of life. The goal is to disclose chemical evolution by investigating the primordial chemistry of formamide and the chemistry of simple phenol derivatives in a mixture with formamide.
Besides the specific results, major outcomes of the project will be a relevant advancement of knowledge and a powerful strategy.
Start date of activity
01/01/2022
Keywords
spettoroscopia, astrochimica, inquinamento ambientale
Last update: 27/04/2025