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Isoprenoid thiophenes: novel products of sediment diagenesis?

Nature volume 320, pages 160–162 (1986)Cite this article

Abstract

Sulphur is a significant component of the organic matter in recent and ancient sediments and in petroleums1,2, yet the precise nature of its association and incorporation is poorly understood. Various sulphur-containing compounds have been recognized in petroleums2–4, but little is known about their origins and mode of generation during sediment burial, and for only a few organo-sulphur compounds with >15 carbon atoms have the structures been determined5,6. Here we identify one of the alkyl thiophenes which occur widely in both recent and ancient deep-sea sediments7–13 as 3-methyl-2-(3,7,l l-trimethyldodecyl)-thiophene, occurring as a limited number of the possible stereoisomers. This compound is presumed to originate from the incorporation of sulphur into chlorophyll-derived phytol, or archaebacterial phytenes or their diagenetic products. Its recognition suggests a novel diagenetic pathway for acyclic isoprenoids involving the introduction of sulphur into specific lipid moieties. Similar, but intermolecular, sulphur incorporation might give rise to sulphur-linked macro molecular materials and thereby contribute significantly to the formation of kerogens.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Organic Geochemistry Unit, University of Bristol,School of Chemistry, Cantock's Close, Bristol, BS8 1TS, UK

    S. C. Brassell & C. A. Lewis

  2. Organic Geochemistry Unit, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, de Vries van Heystplantsoen 2, Delft University of Technology, 2628 RZ, Delft, The Netherlands

    J. W. de Leeuw, F. de Lange & J. S. Sinninghe Damsté

Authors
  1. S. C. Brassell
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  2. C. A. Lewis
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  3. J. W. de Leeuw
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  4. F. de Lange
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  5. J. S. Sinninghe Damsté
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Brassell, S., Lewis, C., de Leeuw, J. et al. Isoprenoid thiophenes: novel products of sediment diagenesis?. Nature 320, 160–162 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1038/320160a0

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