The Cosmic Ice Laboratory - Interstellar Molecules
"?" indicates an uncertain or controversial detection.
Molecules in blue have been identified in
the ice phase as well as the gas phase.
| Molecules with Two Atoms |
H2
hydrogen |
CO
carbon monoxide |
CSi
carbon monosilicide |
CP
carbon monophosphide |
CS
carbon monosulfide |
NO
nitric oxide |
NS
nitric sulfide |
SO
sulfur monoxide |
HCl
hydrogen chloride |
NaCl
sodium chloride |
KCl
potassium chloride |
AlCl
aluminum monochloride |
AlF
aluminum monofluoride |
PN
phosphorus mononitride |
SiN
silicon mononitride |
SiO
silicon monoxide |
SiS
silicon monosulfide |
NH
imidyl radical |
OH
hydroxyl radical |
C2
diatomic carbon |
CN
cyanide radical |
HF
hydrogen fluoride |
FeO
iron monoxide |
LiH
lithium hydride |
CH
methylidyne |
CH+ |
CO+ |
SO+ |
SH
mercapto radical |
O2
oxygen |
N2
nitrogen |
CF+
carbon monofluoride cation |
PO
phosphorus monoxide |
AlO
aluminum monoxide |
| Molecules with Three Atoms |
H2O
water |
H2S
hydrogen sulfide |
HCN
hydrogen cyanide |
HNC
hydrogen isocyanide |
CO2
carbon dioxide |
SO2
sulfur dioxide |
MgCN
magnesium cyanide |
MgNC
magnesium isocyanide |
NaCN
sodium cyanide |
N2O
nitrous oxide |
NH2
amidogen radical |
OCS
carbonyl sulfide |
CH2
methylene |
HCO
formyl radical |
C3
triatomic carbon |
C2H
ethynyl radical |
C2O
ketenylidene |
C2S
thioxoethenylidene |
AlNC
aluminum isocyanide |
HNO
nitrosyl hydride |
SiCN
silicon monocyanide |
N2H+ |
SiNC
silicon isocyanide |
c - SiC2
silicon dicarbide |
HCO+
formyl cation |
HOC+ |
HCS+ |
H3+ |
OCN-
solid-phase only |
HCP
phosphaethyne |
CCP |
|
| Molecules with Four Atoms |
NH3
ammonia |
H2CO (?)
formaldehyde |
H2CS
thioformaldehyde |
C2H2
acetylene |
HNCO
isocyanic acid |
HNCS
thioisocyanic acid |
H3O+
hydronium ion |
SiC3
silicon tricarbide |
C3S
tricarbonsulfide |
H2CN
methylene amidogen |
c - C3H
cyclopropynylidyne |
l - C3H
propynlidyne |
| HCCN |
CH3
methyl radical |
C2CN
cyanoethynyl radical |
C3O |
| HCNH+ |
HOCO+
protonated CO2 |
C3N- |
HCNO
fulminic acid |
| HSCN |
H2O2
hydrogen peroxide |
| Molecules with Five Atoms |
CH4
methane |
SiH4
silane |
CH2NH
methyleneimine |
NH2CN
cyanamide |
CH2CO
ketene |
HCOOH (?)
formic acid |
HCC-CN
cyanoacetylene |
HCC-NC
isocyanoacetylene |
c - C3H2
cyclopropenylidene |
l - C3H2 |
CH2CN
cyanomethyl radical |
H2COH+
protonated
formaldehyde |
| C4Si |
C5 |
HNCCC |
C4H |
| C4H- |
|
|
HC(O)CN
cyanoformaldehyde |
| Molecules with Six Atoms |
CH3OH
methanol |
CH3SH
methanethiol |
C2H4
ethylene |
H(CC)2H
diacetylene |
CH3CN
methylcyanide |
CH3NC
methylisocyanide |
HC(O)NH2
formamide |
HCC-C(O)H
propynal |
HC3NH+
protonated
cyanoacetylene |
HC4N
cyanopropenylidene |
C5N |
C5H |
H2CCCC
butatrienylidene |
H2CCNH
keteneimine |
C5N- |
c-H2C3O
cyclopropenone |
| Molecules with Seven Atoms |
CH2CH(OH)
vinyl alcohol |
c - C2H4O
ethylene oxide |
HC(O)CH3
acetaldehyde |
H3C-CC-H
methylacetylene |
CH3NH2
methylamine |
CH2CH(CN)
acrylonitrile |
HCC-CC-CN
cyanobutadiyne
| C6H
hexatriynyl
radical |
C6H-
hexatriyne anion |
| Molecules with Eight Atoms |
CH3COOH
acetic acid |
HC(O)OCH3
methyl formate |
HOCH2C(O)H
glycolaldehyde |
H3C-CC-CN
cyanomethylacetylene |
H2C6
hexapentaenylidene |
H(CC)3H
triacetylene |
H2C=CH-C(O)H
propenal |
CH2CCHCN
cyanoallene |
C7H |
H2NCH2CN
aminoacetonitrile |
| Molecules with Nine Atoms |
(CH3)2O
dimethyl ether |
CH3CH2CN
ethylcyanide |
CH3CH2OH
ethanol |
CH3C4H
methylbutadiyne |
HCC-CC-CC-CN
cyanohexatriyne
| C8H |
CH3C(O)NH2
acetamide |
C8H- |
CH3CHCH2
propylene |
| Molecules with Ten Atoms |
(CH3)2CO
acetone |
HOCH2CH2OH
ethylene glycol |
CH3OCH2OH
methoxymethanol |
H3C-CH2-C(O)H
propanal |
CH3(CC)2CN
methylcyanodiacetylene |
| Molecules with Eleven Atoms |
HCC-CC-CC-CC-CN
cyanooctatetrayne |
CH3C6H
methyltriacetylene |
HC(O)OCH2CH3
ethyl formate |
| Molecules with Twelve Atoms |
C6H6
benzene |
CH3CH2CH2CN
n-propyl cyanide |
| Molecules with Thirteen Atoms |
HCC-CC-CC-CC-CC-CN
cyanodecapentayne |
