Abstract

We modeled the collisions between OH+ projectiles with kinetic energies ranging from 10 to 22 eV and an amorphous cold (CH3OH)(10) substrate using Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics (BOMD) simulations. We conducted the simulations for a collision time of 400 femtoseconds (fs), during which we followed multiple bond-forming and breaking reactions. Here, we report four new pathways for the formation of formic acid HCOOH. We find new precursors such as CH3(OH)(2)(+), HC(OH)(2)(+), CH2OH+, and CH2(OH)(2), which are essential in these pathways for the formation of formic acid. The methanodiol CH2(OH)(2) and hydroxymethyl CH2OH+ cations have previously been identified as key precursors of formaldehyde. These pathways suggest new ways to form formic acid in methanol ice mantles on dust grains, o ffering alternative mechanisms leading to the formation of complex organic molecules (COMs) in space.