Detection and reactivity of Titan tholins in liquid hydrocarbons containing polar compounds

Thumbnail Image

Files

Detection and reactivity of Titan tholins in liquid hydrocarbons.pdf (227.3 KB)

Links to Files

https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EPSC-DPS2019/EPSC-DPS2019-1855-1.pdf

Permanent Link

http://hdl.handle.net/11603/14999

Collections

UMBC Center for Space Sciences and Technology (CSST) / Center for Research and Exploration in Space Sciences & Technology II (CRSST II)
UMBC Faculty Collection

Author/Creator

Author/Creator ORCID

Date

2019-09

Type of Work

conference papers and proceedings
Text

Department

Program

Citation of Original Publication

Rights

This item is likely protected under Title 17 of the U.S. Copyright Law. Unless on a Creative Commons license, for uses protected by Copyright Law, contact the copyright holder or the author.
Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Subjects

Tholins
photolysis
methane rain
liquid hydrocarbons

Abstract

Tholins are complex organic materials produced via photolysis of methane and dinitrogen gases in Titan’s upper atmosphere. These long-chained hydrocarbons sediment to the moon surface and interact with liquid hydrocarbons via methane rain [1], [2] and methaneethane-nitrogen dominated lakes and seas [3]–[6]. However, preliminary studies have shown that tholins are only weakly soluble in non-polar solvents such as methane and ethane, and soluble in polar solvents [7]–[11]. We have decided to determine the solubility of Titan tholins in solutions of liquid hydrocarbons mixed with nitriles, such as acrylonitrile, acetonitrile, and hexane.