Molecular fossils from chemical degradation of macromolecular organic matter

Hydrogenolysis with rhodium-on-charcoal was found to be an effective method for degrading different types of macromolecular material of geological origin. Between 6 and 70% of coals, kerogens and humic substances were transferred into low-molecular-weight soluble materials. The reaction products contained a series of monomeric and dimeric lignin-derived compounds which strongly suggest intact fossil lignin as their source. The substitutional patterns of the released phenols reflect the type and amount of terrestrial organic matter input and diagenetic alterations.In addition to the lignin constituents, a complete suite of hydrocarbons differing from those of the low-molecular-weight fraction was obtained after hydrogenolysis of the sample material. Hydrocarbons released by the hydrogenolytic degradation technique were attached to the polymeric matrix as monoor polyethers. Deuterium was used in the degradation experiment to evaluate the sites of chemical bonds by which 4-methylsteranes and hopanes are attached to the kerogen matrix. These experiments suggested a linkage of the released molecules with ring A and the side-chain, respectively.