Structural insights from boron tribromide ether cleavage into lignites and low maturity coals from the New Zealand Coal Band
- Ether functionalities form an important cross-linking structure within the macromolecular organic matrix of lignites and coals. To obtain a deeper insight into the complex internal structure of such macromolecules and the maturation related changes of the ether compounds within the network structure, boron tribromide (BBr3) ether cleavage was applied to a series of lignite and coal samples of different maturity (R-0 0.27-0.80%) obtained from coal mines and natural outcrops from the North and South Island of New Zealand. Terminal ether-bound alcohols rapidly decrease during diagenesis and occur only in low amounts during the catagenetic stage. Comparison between ester- and ether-bound terminal alcohols indicates a parallel decreasing trend during the diagenetic stage, suggesting that the stability differences between both linkages are not large enough to be observed in maturation processes over geological time scales:Polyether compounds were detected with chain length up to five carbon atoms. After a small decrease during theEther functionalities form an important cross-linking structure within the macromolecular organic matrix of lignites and coals. To obtain a deeper insight into the complex internal structure of such macromolecules and the maturation related changes of the ether compounds within the network structure, boron tribromide (BBr3) ether cleavage was applied to a series of lignite and coal samples of different maturity (R-0 0.27-0.80%) obtained from coal mines and natural outcrops from the North and South Island of New Zealand. Terminal ether-bound alcohols rapidly decrease during diagenesis and occur only in low amounts during the catagenetic stage. Comparison between ester- and ether-bound terminal alcohols indicates a parallel decreasing trend during the diagenetic stage, suggesting that the stability differences between both linkages are not large enough to be observed in maturation processes over geological time scales:Polyether compounds were detected with chain length up to five carbon atoms. After a small decrease during the diagenetic phase these compounds occur in relatively high concentrations, even in the main catagenetic stage. This suggests that these linkage structures represent important cross-linking substructures within the macromolecular matrix of lignites and coals being sterically protected within the macromolecular network during the maturation process. Additional cross-linking substructures were (poly)ether aromatics, esters and ketones.…
Author details: | Clemens GlombitzaORCiDGND, Kai MangelsdorfORCiDGND, Brian Horsfield |
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DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orggeochem.2010.12.005 |
ISSN: | 0146-6380 |
Title of parent work (English): | Organic geochemistry : the international journal for rapid publication of current research in organic geochemistry and biochemistry |
Publisher: | Elsevier |
Place of publishing: | Oxford |
Publication type: | Article |
Language: | English |
Year of first publication: | 2011 |
Publication year: | 2011 |
Release date: | 2017/03/26 |
Volume: | 42 |
Issue: | 3 |
Number of pages: | 9 |
First page: | 228 |
Last Page: | 236 |
Funding institution: | Helmholtz Association |
Organizational units: | Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät / Institut für Geowissenschaften |
Peer review: | Referiert |