Laboratory Measurements and Astronomical Search for Methoxyacetone and Methyl Methoxyacetate.

High-resolution pure rotational spectra of methoxyacetone and methyl methoxyacetate have been recorded and analyzed by using pulsed jet-expansion Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy with the aid of quantum calculations. The global minima for both target molecules have been detected in pulsed jet, whose spectra are featured with the splittings raised from the methyl internal rotations. On the basis of the spectroscopic results, a radio-astronomical search of methoxyacetone and methyl methoxyacetate was carried out toward the high-mass star-forming region Sgr B2(N) using the Shanghai Tianma 65 m radio telescope. No lines belonging to either of the target molecules were detected, and the upper limits to the column density were derived.