Phytane
Sign in to saveAlso known as 2,6,10,14-tetramethylhexadecane
Phytane is the isoprenoid alkane formed when phytol, a chemical substituent of chlorophyll, loses its hydroxyl group. When phytol loses one carbon atom, it yields pristane. Other sources of phytane and pristane have also been proposed than phytol.
~9 min read
Encyclopedic overview
13 sectionsContents
- Chemistry
- Sources
- Preservation
- Geochemical parameters
- Pristane/Phytane ratio
- Pristane/nC<sub>17</sub> and phytane/nC<sub>18</sub> ratios
- Biodegradation scale
- Compound specific isotope analyses
- Carbon isotopes
- Hydrogen isotopes
- Case study: limitation of Pr/Ph as a redox indicator
- See also
- References
Phytane is the isoprenoid alkane formed when phytol, a chemical substituent of chlorophyll, loses its hydroxyl group. When phytol loses one carbon atom, it yields pristane. Other sources of phytane and pristane have also been proposed than phytol.
Pristane and phytane are common constituents in petroleum and have been used as proxies for depositional redox conditions, as well as for correlating oil and its source rock (i.e. elucidating where oil formed). In environmental studies, pristane and phytane are target compounds for investigating oil spills.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Phytane” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.