A comparative study of macromolecular substances of a Coorongite and cell walls of the extant alga Botryococcus braunii

Abstract

A Coorongite sample of Lake Balkash (Kazakhstan, CIS) was analyzed in detail by 13C-NMR, FTIR, Curie point pyrolysis—gas chromatography—mass spectrometry, and by fractionation and derivatization with dimethyldisulphide of an off-line pyrolysate. Both the spectroscopic and the pyrolysis data indicate that the Coorongite was derived almost entirely of organic matter of the green microalga Botryococcus braunii race A. Homologous series of n-alkanes and n-alk-1-en-9 in all pyrolysates indicated the presence of algaenan, a highly aliphatic and resistant cell wall biomacromolecule of B. Braunii race A. Highly specific pyrolysis products, in particular n-alkadienes, n-alkatrienes, alk-1-en-9-ones, and alk-1-en-10-ones with C27, C29, and C31 carbon atoms clearly indicated that C27, C29, and C31 alkadienes and alkatrienes, originally present in B. braunii race A as such, were cross-linked by oxygen during the very early stages of diagenesis under oxic conditions. Furthermore, several types of dialkenylethers, also present as soluble lipids in B. braunii race A, had undergone cross-linking by oxygen as well. These cross-linked lipids contribute significantly to the Coorongite and clearly demonstrate that under specific conditions kerogen consists of both preserved biomacromolecules and insoluble, cross-linked, low-molecular-weight lipids.