Astrophysical detection of the helium hydride ion

Primordial molecule detected in space for the first time

Within 100,000 years of the Big Bang, the very first molecule emerged, an improbable marriage of helium and hydrogen known as a helium hydride ion, or HeH⁺. "It was the beginning of chemistry," said David Neufeld, a professor at John's Hopkins University and co-author of a study published Wednesday detailing how—after a multi-decade search—scientists finally detected the elusive molecule in space. Theoretical models had long since convinced astrophysicists that HeH⁺ came first, followed—in a precise order—by a parade of other increasingly complex and heavy molecules.
HeH⁺ had also been studied in the laboratory, as early as 1925.

https://phys.org/news/2019-04-elusive-molecule-universe-space.html