Simultaneous extraction and chromatographic separation of n-alkanes and alkenones from glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers via selective Accelerated Solvent Extraction

A method is described for simultaneous extraction and chromatographic separation of saturated hydrocarbons (n-alkanes) and unsaturated long-chain ketones (alkenones) from glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs) using selective accelerated solvent extraction (ASE). We show that the method can be used to successfully separate n-alkanes and alkenones from GDGTs in marine sediment samples and n-alkanes from GDGTs in lake sediments and soil samples. A comparison of our method with analysis of samples purified using classical silica column chromatography demonstrates that the new method does not affect the alkenone unsaturation index (U-37(K)'), the TetraEther indeX (TEX86), the Methane Index (MI), the Ring Index (RI), the branched-GDGT-based paleotemperature and soil pH indices, the Branched and Isoprenoid Tetraether (BIT) index, the n-alkane average chain length (ACL) or the carbon preference index (CPI). The new procedure results in higher sample recoveries for n-alkanes and more precise UK37K' estimates at low concentrations, and contributes to reduced analyst laboratory time. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.