Interstellar formamide (NH$_2$CHO), a key prebiotic precursor

TL;DR

This review explores the presence, formation, and survival of formamide in the interstellar medium, highlighting its potential role as a key prebiotic molecule delivered to early Earth and its significance in astrochemistry.

Contribution

It synthesizes observational, experimental, and theoretical studies on interstellar formamide, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches to understanding its astrochemical significance.

Findings

Formamide detected in comets and star-forming regions.

Multiple formation pathways of formamide in space identified.

Implications for prebiotic chemistry and origin of life discussed.

Abstract

Formamide (NH$_2$CHO) has been identified as a potential precursor of a wide variety of organic compounds essential to life, and many biochemical studies propose it likely played a crucial role in the context of the origin of life on our planet. The detection of formamide in comets, which are believed to have --at least partially-- inherited their current chemical composition during the birth of the Solar System, raises the question whether a non-negligible amount of formamide may have been exogenously delivered onto a very young Earth about four billion years ago. A crucial part of the effort to answer this question involves searching for formamide in regions where stars and planets are forming today in our Galaxy, as this can shed light on its formation, survival, and chemical re-processing along the different evolutionary phases leading to a star and planetary system like our own. The present review primarily addresses the chemistry of formamide in the interstellar medium, from the point of view of (i) astronomical observations, (ii) experiments, and (iii) theoretical calculations. While focusing on just one molecule, this review also more generally reflects the importance of joining efforts across multiple scientific disciplines in order to make progress in the highly interdisciplinary science of astrochemistry.