Gas-phase synthesis of the bicyclic silicon tricarbide molecule (c-SiC ₃ ) as a precursor to silicon carbide nanoparticles in space

Exotic routes to silicon carbide grain precursors were revealed with the gas-phase synthesis of the astronomically observed bicyclic and linear silicon tricarbide molecules via the bimolecular reaction of silylidyne (SiH) with tricarbon (C 3 ).