Isolation of a series of vanadyl-tetrahydrobenzopetroporphyrins from Timahdit oil shale. Structure determination and total synthesis of the major constituent

Abstract

A series of vanadyl-tetrahydrobenzopetroporphyrins was isolated from an oil shale and the structure of the major constituent demonstrated by n.m.r. studies and total synthesis; hypotheses concerning the origin of these petroporphyrins from biological precursors are discussed.