This work aims to constrain the abundances of interstellar amides, by searching for this group of prebiotic molecules in the intermediate-mass protostar Serpens SMM1-a. ALMA observations are conducted toward Serpens SMM1. A spectrum is extracted toward the SMM1-a position and analyzed with the CASSIS line analysis software for the presence of characteristic rotational lines of a number of amides and other molecules. NH ₂CHO, NH ₂CHO ν ₁₂= 1, NH ₂ ¹³CHO, CH ₃C(O)NH ₂ν = 0, 1, CH ₂DOH, CH ₃CHO, and CH ₃C(O)CH ₃are securely detected, while trans-NHDCHO, NH ₂CDO, CH ₃NHCHO ν = 0, 1, CH ₃COOH, and HOCH ₂CHO are tentatively identified. The results of this work are compared with detections presented in the literature. A uniform CH ₃C(O)NH ₂/NH ₂CHO ratio is found for a group of interstellar sources with vast physical differences. A similar ratio is seen for CH ₃NHCHO, based on a smaller data sample. The D/H ratio of NH ₂CHO is about 1-3% and is close to values found in the low-mass source IRAS 16293-2422B. The formation of CH ₃C(O)NH ₂and NH ₂CHO is likely linked. Formation of these molecules on grain surfaces during the dark cloud stage is a likely scenario. The high D/H ratio of NH ₂CHO is also seen as an indication that these molecules are formed on icy dust grains. As a direct consequence, amides are expected to be present in the most pristine material from which planetary systems form, thus providing a reservoir of prebiotic material.

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Aims. Methyl isocyanate (CH3NCO) and glycolonitrile (HOCH2CN) are isomers and prebiotic molecules that are involved in the formation of peptide structures and the nucleobase adenine, respectively. These two species are investigated to study the interstellar chemistry of cyanides (CN) and isocyanates (NCO) and to gain insight into the reservoir of interstellar prebiotic molecules.Methods. ALMA observations of the intermediate-mass Class 0 protostar Serpens SMM1-a and ALMA-PILS data of the low-mass Class 0 protostar IRAS 16293B are used. Spectra are analysed with the CASSIS line analysis software package in order to identify and characterise molecules.Results. CH3NCO, HOCH2CN, and various other molecules are detected towards SMM1-a. HOCH2CN is identified in the PILS data towards IRAS 16293B in a spectrum extracted at a half-beam offset position from the peak continuum. CH3NCO and HOCH2CN are equally abundant in SMM1-a at [X]/[CH3OH] of 5.3 × 10−4 and 6.2 × 10−4, respectively. A comparison between SMM1-a and IRAS 16293B shows that HOCH2CN and HNCO are more abundant in the former source, but CH3NCO abundances do not differ significantly. Data from other sources are used to show that the [CH3NCO]/[HNCO] ratio is similar in all these sources within ~10%.Conclusions. The new detections of CH3NCO and HOCH2CN are additional evidence for a large interstellar reservoir of prebiotic molecules that can contribute to the formation of biomolecules on planets. The equal abundances of these molecules in SMM1-a indicate that their formation is driven by kinetic processes instead of thermodynamic equilibrium, which would drive the chemistry to one product. HOCH2CN is found to be much more abundant in SMM1-a than in IRAS 16293B. From the observational data, it is difficult to indicate a formation pathway for HOCH2CN, but the thermal Strecker-like reaction of CN− with H2CO is a possibility. The similar [CH3NCO]/[HNCO] ratios found in the available sample of studied interstellar sources indicate that these two species are either chemically related or their formation is affected by physical conditions in the same way. Both species likely form early during star formation, presumably via ice mantle reactions taking place in the dark cloud or when ice mantles are being heated in the hot core. The relatively high abundances of HOCH2CN and HNCO in SMM1-a may be explained by a prolonged stage of relatively warm ice mantles, where thermal and energetic processing of HCN in the ice results in the efficient formation of both species.</jats:p>@en

Amide molecules produced in space could play a key role in the formation of biomolecules on a young planetary object. However, the formation and chemical network of amide molecules in space is not well understood. In this work, Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array observations are used to study a number of amide(-like) molecules toward the high-mass star-forming region NGC 6334I. The first detections of cyanamide (NH ₂CN), acetamide (CH ₃C(O)NH ₂), and N-methylformamide (CH ₃NHCHO) are presented for this source. These are combined with analyses of isocyanic acid (HNCO) and formamide (NH ₂CHO), and a tentative detection of urea (carbamide; NH ₂C(O)NH ₂). Abundance correlations show that most amides are likely formed in related reactions occurring in ices on interstellar dust grains in NGC 6334I. However, in an expanded sample of sources, large abundance variations are seen for NH ₂CN that seem to depend on the source type, which suggests that the physical conditions within the source heavily influence the production of this species. The rich amide inventory of NGC 6334I strengthens the case that interstellar molecules can contribute to the emergence of biomolecules on planets.

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