Electron impact dissociation of amorphous cis-methyl acetate ice analogs

Abstract We have carried out, for the first time, electron irradiation on methyl acetate (CH 3 COOCH 3 ) ices grown, under astrochemical condition, at 85 K and the chemical changes were probed by FTIR spectroscopy in the mid-IR region (4000–500 cm −1 ). Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), carbon monoxide (CO) molecules were found to be the major products indicating a competing dissociation pathway along with the by-products ethane (C 2 H 6 ) and dimethyl ether (CH 3 OCH 3 ), respectively. CH 3 OH (methyl alcohol) formation showed the possibility of acetate to alcohol conversion by keV electron irradiation. In addition irradiation induced aggregation of CH 3 COOCH 3 molecules is also proposed.