A survey of methoxyl and methyl isotopic clumping in a variety of biologic and synthetic materials

IF 3.6 2区地球科学 Q1 GEOCHEMISTRY & GEOPHYSICS

Chemical Geology Pub Date : 2026-03-05 Epub Date: 2026-01-05 DOI:10.1016/j.chemgeo.2026.123243

Rebekah S. Sprengel , Max K. Lloyd , Daniel A. Stolper

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Stable isotope measurements are important tracers of sample origins and formational conditions, including distinguishing between samples formed via synthetic vs. biological pathways. Here we present results that establish the ability of multiply substituted isotopologues, colloquially termed clumped isotopes, of methoxyl and methyl groups (Δ¹³CH₂D and Δ¹²CHD₂) can be used to distinguish biologically- from synthetically- generated materials and related to these (bio)chemical formational pathways. Specifically, we demonstrate that there is a large distinction between Δ¹³CH₂D values of plant-derived methoxyl groups vs. synthetic groups, including in the same molecule (e.g., vanillin). These distinctions are independent of bulk methoxyl and methyl hydrogen and carbon isotopic compositions. We discuss the processes that can generate these differences as well as implications for the study of methane clumped isotopes in the environment.

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甲氧基和甲基同位素在各种生物和合成材料中的结块研究

稳定同位素测量是样品来源和形成条件的重要示踪剂，包括区分通过合成途径和生物途径形成的样品。在这里，我们提出的结果表明，甲氧基和甲基（Δ13CH2D和Δ12CHD2）的多取代同位素，俗称团块同位素，可以用来区分生物和合成生成的材料，并与这些（生物）化学形成途径有关。具体来说，我们证明了植物衍生的甲氧基与合成基之间的Δ13CH2D值有很大的区别，包括在同一分子中（例如，香兰素）。这些区别与大量甲氧基和甲基氢和碳同位素组成无关。我们讨论了产生这些差异的过程，以及对环境中甲烷团块同位素研究的影响。

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来源期刊

Chemical Geology 地学-地球化学与地球物理

CiteScore

7.20

自引率

10.30%

发文量

374

审稿时长

3.6 months

期刊介绍： Chemical Geology is an international journal that publishes original research papers on isotopic and elemental geochemistry, geochronology and cosmochemistry. The Journal focuses on chemical processes in igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary petrology, low- and high-temperature aqueous solutions, biogeochemistry, the environment and cosmochemistry. Papers that are field, experimentally, or computationally based are appropriate if they are of broad international interest. The Journal generally does not publish papers that are primarily of regional or local interest, or which are primarily focused on remediation and applied geochemistry. The Journal also welcomes innovative papers dealing with significant analytical advances that are of wide interest in the community and extend significantly beyond the scope of what would be included in the methods section of a standard research paper.