LABORATORY SIMULATION OF NATURAL SULFURIZATION .2. REACTION OF MULTI-FUNCTIONALIZED LIPIDS WITH INORGANIC POLYSULFIDES AT LOW-TEMPERATURES

A number of geochemically relevant model compounds (alkenes, ketones, aldehydes, acids, alcohols and esters) have been subjected to a reacti on with sodium hydrogen polysulphide either in one solvent or mediated by a phase transfer reagent. This reaction, referred to as the hydros ulphurization reaction, is regarded as a simulation of a natural sulph urization reaction of functionalized lipids in early stages of diagene sis. Only alkenes, ketones and aldehydes reacted to form organic sulph ur compounds. Generally with compounds possessing carbon-carbon double bonds an addition reaction took place apparently following the Markov nikov rule. The oxe-group of ketones and aldehydes are substituted by sulphur and polysulphide-linked dimers are formed. Polymers or cyclic sulphides are derived from substrates with more than one functionality depending on the spacing between functionalities. Thermal treatment o f a polymeric mixture resulted in the formation of thiophenes. These r esults can explain the formation of many organic sulphur compounds fou nd in sediments and oils.