Radical routes to interstellar glycolaldehyde. The possibility of stereoselectivity in gas-phase polymerization reactions involving CH2O and ˙CH2OH

A previous report that the interstellar molecule glycolaldehyde (HOCH2CHO) can be made from hydroxymethylene (HOCH:) and formaldehyde has been revisited at the CCSD(T)/6-311++G(3df,2p)//MP2/6-311++G(3df,2p) level of theory. This reaction competes with the formation of acetic acid and methylformate, molecules which have also been detected in interstellar clouds. Other possible modes of formation of glycolaldehyde by radical/radical reactions have been shown to be viable theoretically as follows:HO˙ + ˙CH2CHO → HOCH2CHO [ΔGr(298 K) = −303 kJ mol−1]HOCH2˙ + ˙CHO → HOCH2CHO (−259 kJ mol−1