Single carbon surface reactions of 1-octadecene and 2,3,6-trimethylphenol on activated carbon: Implications for methane formation in sediments

The reactions of a terminal alkene (1-octadecene) and a polymethyl phenol (2,3,6-trimethylphenol) on activated carbon have been investigated in closed system pyrolysis experiments in the temperature range 170-340 C. The reaction products of 1-octadecene included methane, isomeric octadecenes, methyl...

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Main Authors: Alexander, Robert, Berwick, Lyndon, Pierce, Kieran
Format: Journal Article
Published: Pergamon 2011
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/46666
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author Alexander, Robert
Berwick, Lyndon
Pierce, Kieran
author_facet Alexander, Robert
Berwick, Lyndon
Pierce, Kieran
author_sort Alexander, Robert
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description The reactions of a terminal alkene (1-octadecene) and a polymethyl phenol (2,3,6-trimethylphenol) on activated carbon have been investigated in closed system pyrolysis experiments in the temperature range 170-340 C. The reaction products of 1-octadecene included methane, isomeric octadecenes, methyl substituted alkanes, alkyl aromatics and an homologous series of n-alkanes with carbon numbers indicative of progressive single carbon depletion of the reactant. The reaction products of 2,3,6-trimethylphenol also contained methane, as well as C1-C4 methyl phenols produced by demethylation and methyl transfer reactions. A carbon surface reaction involving the formation of a reactive single carbon intermediate (i.e. methylene/carbene) is proposed. This reaction accounts for the products observed from the pyrolysis experiments and also is consistent with liquid hydrocarbon distributions found in petroleum basins. Methane was the dominant (ca. 85% of C1-C4) gaseous hydrocarbon product of 2,3,6-trimethylphenol but accounted for only ca. 17% of the C1-C4 hydrocarbons from 1-octadecene. These findings suggest that single carbon surface reactions may play an important role in the geochemical formation of crude oil and natural gas and that the composition of the source material and therefore the type of organic compounds undergoing such reactions, influences the hydrocarbon gas composition in sedimentary basins.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-466662017-09-13T15:58:10Z Single carbon surface reactions of 1-octadecene and 2,3,6-trimethylphenol on activated carbon: Implications for methane formation in sediments Alexander, Robert Berwick, Lyndon Pierce, Kieran carbon surface reactions methane formation 1-octadecene trimethylphenol The reactions of a terminal alkene (1-octadecene) and a polymethyl phenol (2,3,6-trimethylphenol) on activated carbon have been investigated in closed system pyrolysis experiments in the temperature range 170-340 C. The reaction products of 1-octadecene included methane, isomeric octadecenes, methyl substituted alkanes, alkyl aromatics and an homologous series of n-alkanes with carbon numbers indicative of progressive single carbon depletion of the reactant. The reaction products of 2,3,6-trimethylphenol also contained methane, as well as C1-C4 methyl phenols produced by demethylation and methyl transfer reactions. A carbon surface reaction involving the formation of a reactive single carbon intermediate (i.e. methylene/carbene) is proposed. This reaction accounts for the products observed from the pyrolysis experiments and also is consistent with liquid hydrocarbon distributions found in petroleum basins. Methane was the dominant (ca. 85% of C1-C4) gaseous hydrocarbon product of 2,3,6-trimethylphenol but accounted for only ca. 17% of the C1-C4 hydrocarbons from 1-octadecene. These findings suggest that single carbon surface reactions may play an important role in the geochemical formation of crude oil and natural gas and that the composition of the source material and therefore the type of organic compounds undergoing such reactions, influences the hydrocarbon gas composition in sedimentary basins. 2011 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/46666 10.1016/j.orggeochem.2011.03.005 Pergamon restricted
spellingShingle carbon surface reactions
methane formation
1-octadecene
trimethylphenol
Alexander, Robert
Berwick, Lyndon
Pierce, Kieran
Single carbon surface reactions of 1-octadecene and 2,3,6-trimethylphenol on activated carbon: Implications for methane formation in sediments
title Single carbon surface reactions of 1-octadecene and 2,3,6-trimethylphenol on activated carbon: Implications for methane formation in sediments
title_full Single carbon surface reactions of 1-octadecene and 2,3,6-trimethylphenol on activated carbon: Implications for methane formation in sediments
title_fullStr Single carbon surface reactions of 1-octadecene and 2,3,6-trimethylphenol on activated carbon: Implications for methane formation in sediments
title_full_unstemmed Single carbon surface reactions of 1-octadecene and 2,3,6-trimethylphenol on activated carbon: Implications for methane formation in sediments
title_short Single carbon surface reactions of 1-octadecene and 2,3,6-trimethylphenol on activated carbon: Implications for methane formation in sediments
title_sort single carbon surface reactions of 1-octadecene and 2,3,6-trimethylphenol on activated carbon: implications for methane formation in sediments
topic carbon surface reactions
methane formation
1-octadecene
trimethylphenol
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/46666