Scientists meant that literally, it had been only theorized because it cannot occur naturally in Earth's everyday conditions but in extreme conditions of space it was assumed to exist. Now after a century of hypothetical existence, ultra-cold temperatures, near-perfect vacuum and high-energy radiation to simulate the environment inside interstellar clouds have combined to make it real.
The scientists from institutions in Russia, communist China, Hawaii, and Mississippi, believe their work could reshape our understanding of chemistry in the universe and shed light on the complex reactions happening in deep space.
Right now, the existence of complex life anywhere else is speculation but clues may be found in ways compounds might evolve in the icy dust clouds where stars and planets form. The team used powerful vacuum ultraviolet light to detect tiny amounts of methanetetrol made from water and carbon dioxide. They found that high-energy particles mimicking high energy cosmic rays triggered a series of chemical reactions leading to the creation of methanetetrol and related compounds.
Marks, J.H., Bai, X., Nikolayev, A.A. et al. Methanetetrol and the final frontier in ortho acids. Nat Commun 16, 6468 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61561-z
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