Two among the largest molecules, ethyl formate, C₂H₅OCHO, and n-propyl cyanide, n-C₃H₇CN, have been detected in the famous massive star-forming region Sagittarius B2(N) in the course of a molecular line survey in the 3mm frequency domain with additional observations at 2 and 1 mm carried out with the IRAM 30m radiotelescope:
A. Belloche, R. T. Garrod, H. S. P. Müller, K. M. Menten, C. Comito, and P. Schilke,
Increased Complexity in Interstellar Chemistry: Detection and Chemical Modeling of Ethyl Formate and //n//-Propyl Cyanide in Sagittarius B2(N)
Astron. Astrophys. 499, (2009) 215–232.

These are the second and third molecules after aminoacetonitrile to be detected newly within this molecular line survey.
Ethyl formate is the second formate to be detected in the ISM after methyl formate. The parent species formic acid, HCOOH, has also been detected. The isomeric methyl acetate, CH₃OC(O)CH₃, has not yet been detected – in part because of very limited laboratory data.
n-Propyl cyanide is the third member after methyl cyanide, CH₃CN, and ethyl cyanide, C₂H₅CN.

Contributor(s): H. S. P. Müller; 04, 2009