COMPARATIVE-STUDY OF LOW AND HIGH-TEMPERATURE HYDROUS PYROLYSIS PRODUCTS OF MONOGLYCEROL DIETHER LIPID FROM ARCHAEBACTERIA

The effect of thermal stress on the ether linkage (C-O-C) of archaebacterial glycerol ether lipid was examined by hydrous pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. At a temperature of 330-degrees-C, hydrous pyrolysis in the presence of clay mineral (montmorillonite) resulted in the formation of dihydrophytol C20H41 OH, phytene C20H40 and pristane C19H40. Decreasing the pyrolysis temperature to 150-degrees-C resulted in the formation of dihydrophytol (C20H41OH) and mono-alkyl glycerol ether C23H48O3 only. Compared to flash pyrolysis, hydrous pyrolysis required a lower temperature for the ether bond cleavage but a longer time interval of the order of several hours was applied. At higher temperatures the activation energy may be sufficient for the cleavage of the C-C bond of monoglycerol diether lipid, and therefore more than one pathway of hydrocarbon formation is possible.