GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY

BIOMARKER - TRITERPANES
 TRITERPANES
1. Introduction
a. Chemical structure and numbering
b. Type of hopanes
c. M/z 191
2. The use of hopanes:
a. Depositional environment/origin of OM
b. Maturity
Hopane (30 carbon atoms)
30-Norhopane (29 carbon atoms)
Pentakishomohopane
1. Introduction
TRITERPANES
a. Chemical structure and numbering
b. Type of hopanes
c. M/z 191
2. The use of hopanes:
a. Depositional environment/origin of OM
b. Maturity
Hopanoids:

1.17(H),21(H)-hopanes or -hopanes
2.17(H),21(H)-hopanes or moretanes
3.17(H),21(H)-hopanes

Non-hopanes:
1.Oleananes
2.Gammacerane
1. Introduction
TRITERPANES
a. Chemical structure and numbering
b. Type of hopanes
c. M/z 191
2. The use of hopanes:
a. Depositional environment/origin of OM
b. Maturity
 1 2
9 0
E
1 2
R
1 8 1 2
1 2 1 1
2
2 1 2 3 7
5
C 6 D 2
1 8 1
1 4 1 6
9
2 1 8 5
0
A B
3 5 7 2
4 6 7 m/z 176 + R

2 2 m/z 191
3 4
R Carbon Fragment Parent ion
number ion
H 29 191 398
CH3 30 191 412
C2H5 31 191 426
C3H7 32 191 440
C4H9 33 191 454
m/z 191

Hopane (30 carbon atoms)

OL: oleananes
No. Name
1 C27-18(H)-22,29,30-trisnorneohopane (Ts)
2 C27-17(H)-22,29,30-trisnorhopane (Tm)
3
C29-17(H), 21(H)-30-norhopane
4
5 C29-17(H), 21(H)-30-normoretane

6 C30-17(H), 21(H)-hopane
7 C30-17(H), 21(H)-moretane
8
C31(22S+22R)-17(H)-29-homohopane
9
C30 gammacerane
10
11 C32(22S+22R)-17(H)-29,30-bishomohopane

12 C33(22S+22R)-17(H)-29,30,31-trishomohopane

C34(22S+22R)-17(H)-29,30,31,32-tetrakishomohopane

C35(22S+22R)-17(H)-29,30,31,32,33-pentakishomohopane
1. Introduction
TRITERPANES
a. Chemical structure and numbering
b. Type of hopanes
c. M/z 191
2. The use of hopanes:
a. Depositional environment/origin of OM
b. Maturity
Oleananes are thought to be a Cretaceous
or younger higher plant marker.
Oleananes are probably derived from
betulins and other pentacyclic triterpenes
in angiosperms. Angiosperms first
became prominent in the Late Cretaceous
(<100 m.y.). No examples of oleananes
have been found in oils known to be older
than Cretaceous. Note that the absence of
oleananes do not prove an oil to have
been generated from Cretaceous or older
rocks (Peters and Moldowan, 1993 and
references therein)
 OZ
Marine shelf
17a(H)-hopane (C30)

17a(H)-homohopanes

Gammacerane
Greece
Carbonate
anoxic
 From Peters and Moldowan (1993 and
references therein):

Gammacerane is triterpane that appears

to represent a marker for highly saline
marine and nonmarine depositional
environments. Experiments done for some
lacustrine source rocks from Angola
indicate that increased water salinity
during deposition of the source rock
results in higher gammacerane indices,
and lower pristane/phytane ratios.
 From Peters and Moldowan (1993 and
references therein):

However, gammacerane is also major

biomarker in many lacustrine oils and
bitumens, including the Green River marl
in Utah and oils from northwest China.

Gammacerane is also abundant in certain

marine petroleums from carbonate or
evaporite source rock.
 Yugoslavia
anoxic slightly
suboxic
hypersaline
Gammacerane

Alaska
Resinitic coal

Angola
Lacustrine

Gammacerane
1. Introduction
TRITERPANES
a. Chemical structure and numbering
b. Type of hopanes
c. M/z 191
2. The use of hopanes:
a. Depositional environment/origin of OM
b. Maturity
immature

mature
 Adapted from Mackenzie, 1984
Steranes
Biomarker maturity (%)

20S Steranes
Moretanes
22S Hopanes
Hopanes
 TRITERPANES
The presence (in high
concentration) of triterpanes
(bicadinanes/resins) could
disturb the distribution of
steranes
Questions???
(Peters and Moldowan,
1993)
 m/z 217 Steranes

C27 C28

C29

20R 20R
20S
20S