first molecules - ever!

I might have naively assumed that the first molecules in the universe were hydrogen ones (H2) as H is the simplest atom, but I have now learned that this was not the case. In fact, helium hydride has a strong case for being the first altough the search for this molecule in the current universe has only discovered it recently. I've discussed all of this together with the science of another very early hydrogen compound, trihydrogen, in my latest feature about the chemistry that happened before the first stars were born (mindboggling thought):

Dawn of chemistry

Chemistry & Industry 83, No. 7, pp 30-33.

access via:

Wiley Online Library (paywalled)

SCI (members only)

Any access problems give me a shout and I can send a PDF.

Have a sneaky peek at the first page: