This project is supported by Romanian Space Agency (ROSA) and implemented by a team from Iasi Plasma Advanced Research Center (IPARC), Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, Romania.

The aim of the present proposal is to support the coagulation of a research team in Romania with molecular astrophysics as main research direction. We propose to study the synthesis of transient complex molecular systems in laboratory plasmas in noble gas – hydrogen – C_nH_2n+2 or C_nH_2n+1OH or C_nH_2nO mixtures. Chemical synthesis assisted by plasma and conversion into higher molecules is an important topic related to the molecular physics of hot cores. Attention will be devoted also to volume and surface processing in plasmas of simple amino acids and monosacharides, in order to obtain answers related to the processes affecting the molecules of biological importance in energetic environments.

Around 75 years ago an important step was made in space science: identification of the first molecule in space - CH. That discovery triggered tremendous efforts around the world in order to identify more and more molecular signatures in space. Over the years, since 1937 more than 150 interstellar and circumstellar molecules were found, with an inevitable increase of the molecular mass and complexity (bond angles, length and atomic partners). Approximately 50 interstellar molecules contain 6 or more atoms, many of them having relevance for prebiotic chemistry. We know now that matter is recycled in interstellar medium in various types of objects, from diffuse clouds to planetary nebulae. From all, the chemical abundance in hot molecular cores is remarkable. Three principal reaction channels can explain this chemical diversity: efficient gas phase reaction, grain surface reactions and evaporation of simple molecules mantles from the icy grains.   
In the race to find new molecules, and eventually biomolecules, in space, one of the adopted search strategy is to synthesize molecules in laboratory, then to measure theirs physical parameters, and then observations of the same parameters in molecular signatures from astronomical objects of interest. Physical parameters useful for the above mentioned goal are rotational constants, dipole moment, frequencies of the molecular transitions, line strength and energy level of the transitions.
Many configurations of laboratory experiments were used in order to explain the chemical diversity and reaction mechanisms in hot cores and other regions of interstellar medium. We will list here reactions in exotic plasma experiments, crossed molecular beams, selected ion flow tube, UV processing or atomic/ion bombardment of interstellar ice analogues. From all these techniques laboratory plasma experiments are valuable resources to study complex molecular environments and relatively not expensive experimental techniques. Results form such experiments can be cross checked with other experimental techniques or telescope observations.