Petroleum, coal and other organics in space
  The petroleum and coal models of the unidentified infrared emissions (UIE),
sometimes referred also as unidentified infrared bands (UIBs) has been reviewed
mainly based on the work of the authors with the inclusion of unpublished
results. It is shown that the petroleum and coal model of the UIE converges and
merges quite well with the MAON (Mixed Aromatic Aliphatic Organic
Nanoparticles) model of the UIE. It is shown that the thermal treatment of
various substrates like PAHs, alkylated PAHs but also mixed aliphatic/olefinic
substrates leads invariable to carbonaceous materials matching the infrared
spectrum of anthracite coal or certain petroleum fractions. Thus, the
experimental thermal processing (which under space conditions could be
equivalent to the expected processing by shock waves or high energy radiation)
of mixed aromatic/aliphatic organic matter can be used to match also the UIE
evolution. Another way to simulate the thermal/radiation processing of organic
matter in space, can be achieved through the carbon arc. Simple substrates
processed in this way produce carbon soot and a plethora of organic molecules.
Fullerenes are found in space both through mid-infrared and optical
spectroscopy and it is very likely that other complex related species such as
endohedral fullerenes (i.e. fullerenes with a metal, heteroatom or molecules
inside the cage) may be formed in space. After all, their formation requires
the same conditions as those needed for fullerene formation provided that also
a metal vapour (e.g. interstellar/circumstellar gas) is available. The last
part of this review is thus dedicated to the recent results on the study and
characterization of an endohedral C60 derivative containing lithium inside the
cage.
