NASA Logo

NTRS

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server

Back to Results
Confined-Pyrolysis as an Experimental Method for Hydrothermal Organic SynthesisA closed pyrolysis system has been developed as a tool for studying the reactions of organic compounds under extreme hydrothermal conditions. Small high pressure stainless steel vessels in which the ratio of sediment or sample to water has been adjusted to eliminate the headspace at peak experimental conditions confines the organic components to the bulk solid matrix and eliminates the partitioning of the organic compounds away from the inorganic components during the experiment. Confined pyrolysis experiments were performed to simulate thermally driven catagenetic changes in sedimentary organic matter using a solids to water ratio of 3.4 to 1. The extent of alteration was measured by monitoring the steroid and triterpenoid biomarkers and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon distributions. These pyrolysis experiments duplicated the hydrothermal transformations observed in nature. Molecular probe experiments using alkadienes, alkenes and alkanes in H2O and D2O elucidated the isomerization and hydrogenation reactions of aliphatic and the competing oxidative reactions occurring under hydrothermal conditions. This confined pyrolysis technique is being applied to test experiments on organic synthesis of relevance to chemical evolution for the origin of life.
Document ID
19960052041
Acquisition Source
Headquarters
Document Type
Contractor Report (CR)
External Source(s)
Authors
Leif, Roald N.
(Oregon State Univ. Corvallis, OR United States)
Simoneit, Bernd R. T.
(Oregon State Univ. Corvallis, OR United States)
Date Acquired
August 17, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1995
Publication Information
Publication: Origins of Life and Evolution of the Biosphere
Volume: 25
Subject Category
Life Sciences (General)
Report/Patent Number
NAS 1.26:202097
NASA-CR-202097
Accession Number
96N73132
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAGW-2833
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.
Document Inquiry

Available Downloads

There are no available downloads for this record.
No Preview Available