Now, Rahm’s models are showing that under Titan-like environmental conditions, polyimine is both flexible and good at absorbing sunlight.
“It turns out, different conformations of this material absorb different wavelengths of light, including wavelengths that are accessible on the surface of Titan,” Rahm said. “This could provide energy.”
Cornell astronomer and co-author Jonathan Lunine noted that nine years ago, a National Academies of Sciences report concluded, “If life is an intrinsic property of chemical reactivity, life should exist on Titan.” The polyimine result, he added, is interesting enough “that it merits a search for such polymers on Titan’s surface—which will have to be done in the exploration of Titan beyond Cassini.”
From: The Prospects for Alien Life on Titan Keep Getting Better