Di- or polysulphide-bound biomarkers in sulphur-rich geomacromolecules as revealed by selective chemolysis

Journal Article · Wed May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1991 · Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(91)90315-V· OSTI ID:5912741

Kohnen, M E.L.; Sinninghe Damste, J S; Kock-Van Dalen, A C; De Leeuw, J W ^[1]

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1. Delft Univ. of Technology (Netherlands)

Three types of sulphur-rich high-molecular-weight material in the alkylsulphide, the polar, and the asphaltene fractions isolated from the bitumen of an immature bituminous shale from the Vena del Gesso basin (Italy) were desulphurised using Raney Ni and were treated with MeLi/MeI, a chemical degradation method which cleaves selectively and quantitatively di- or polysulphide linkages. The products formed were characterized by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Raney Ni desulphurisation revealed that these S-rich macromolecules are in substantial part composed of sulphur-linked biomarkers with linear, branched, isoprenoid, steroid, hopanoid, and carotenoid carbon skeletons. MeLi/MeI treatment provided evidence that a major part of the total amount of macromolecularly bound biomarkers are linked via di- or polysulphide moieties to the macromolecular network. Since the di- or polysulphide linkages are attached at specific positions of the bound biomarkers it is proposed that they are formed by intermolecular incorporation reactions of HS{sub x}{sup {minus}} into low-molecular-weight functionalized biological lipids during early diagenesis. The different properties (solubility and molecular weight) of the sulphur-rich macromolecules in the alkylsulphide, the resin, and the asphaltene fractions can be explained simply by differences in degree of sulphur cross-linking.

• OSTI ID: 5912741
• Journal Information: Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta; (United States), Vol. 55:5; ISSN 0016-7037
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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02 PETROLEUM
58 GEOSCIENCES
BIOLOGICAL MARKERS
STRUCTURAL CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
ITALY
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
ACTIVATION ENERGY
BITUMENS
CHEMICAL BONDS
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
DIAGENESIS
GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY
GEOCHEMISTRY
HYDROGEN SULFIDES
MASS SPECTROSCOPY
MATURATION
MOLECULAR STRUCTURE
ORGANIC SULFUR COMPOUNDS
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SEDIMENTARY BASINS
SOURCE ROCKS
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ENERGY
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EUROPE
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
MINERAL RESOURCES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
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SEPARATION PROCESSES
SPECTROSCOPY
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023000* - Petroleum- Properties & Composition
580000 - Geosciences