Occurrence and significance of prist-1-ene in kerogen pyrolysates

Abstract

A SERIES of acylic isoprenoid alkanes, of which pristane and phytane are typical, frequently occurs in crude oils, shales, coals, bitumens and so on. It is generally agreed that the primary source of these compounds is the phytyl side chain of chlorophyll(1,2) although the mechanisms of its incorporation into sediments and its subsequent diagenesis, are not completely understood. At present, little is known about the role of kerogen as a source, or sink, of isoprenoid moieties and we report here that the principal isoprenoid, obtained by the high temperature (600 degrees C) pyrolysis of kerogens has been identified as prist-1-ene.