Phytane

Phytane
IUPAC name

2,6,10,14-tetramethylhexadecane
Identifiers
CAS number 638-36-8
PubChem 12523
ChEBI CHEBI:48937
Jmol-3D images Image 1
InChI Key
Properties
Molecular formula C20H42
Molar mass 282.55
Density 0.791 g/mL at 20 °C
Boiling point

69-71 °C (0.001 Torr)
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Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa)
Infobox references

Phytane is a diterpenoid alkane. In contrast to pristane, which is formed from the decarboxylation of phytol, it has one extra carbon.

Phytanyl is the corresponding substituent. Phytanyl groups are frequently found in phospholipids in membranes of thermophilic Archaea[1]. These include caldarchaeol, a compound which contains two fused phytanyl chains.

It is used as a bio-marker in petroleum studies[2].

Unsaturated phytanes

Phytene is the singly unsaturated version of phytane. Phytene is also found as the functional group phytyl in many organic molecules of biological importance such as chlorophyll, tocopherol (Vitamin E) and phylloquinone (Vitamin K1). Phytene's corresponding alcohol is phytol.

Geranylgeranene is the fully unsaturated form of phytane. The corresponding substituent is geranylgeranyl.

See also

References

  1. ^ Edited by Ricardo Cavicchioli (2007), Archaea, Washington, DC: ASM Press, ISBN 1555813917, OCLC 172964654, http://books.google.com/books?id=BBfXbf6z1MEC&pg=RA1-PA16-IA1&lpg=RA1-PA16-IA1 
  2. ^ Hunt, J. (2002). "Early developments in petroleum geochemistry". Organic Geochemistry 33: 1025–1052. doi:10.1016/S0146-6380(02)00056-6.  edit