Abstract
In aliphatic hydrocarbon fractions of crude oils eight acyclic isoprenoid alkanes were separated from accompanying n-alkanes and iso-alkanes by high-performance glasscapillary gas chromatography. Four of these: 2,6,10-trimethyltetradecane (V), norpristane (IV), pristane (III), and phytane (II) could be resolved further to reveal a doublet produced by the different diastereoisomers. In these doublets the front peak represents stereoisomers formed during maturation of crude oil while the rear peak indicates the respective hydrocarbons carrying the original biogenic precursor configuration. This appearance of doublets demonstrates the loss of stereospecificity in hydrocarbons derived from phytol (I). By using the front peaks as diagenetic ‘maturity markers’ attributable to fossil fuels, hydrocarbon mixtures extracted from sea water samples contaminated with fossil oil could be investigated in detail. The quantitative relationship between recent biogenic and fossil fuel hydrocarbons could be determined in extracts in the lower boiling point range.
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