Chemical Evaluation of Eumelanin Maturation by ToF-SIMS and Alkaline Peroxide Oxidation HPLC Analysis.

ABSTRACT: Residual melanins have been detected in multimillion-year-old animal body fossils; however, confident identification and characterization of these natural pigments remain challenging due to loss of chemical signatures during diagenesis. Here, we simulate this post-burial process through artificial maturation experiments using three synthetic and one natural eumelanin exposed to mild (100 °C/100 bar) and harsh (250 °C/200 bar) environmental conditions, followed by chemical analysis employing alkaline hydrogen peroxide oxidation (AHPO) and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS). Our results show that AHPO is sensitive to changes in the melanin molecular structure already during mild heat and pressure treatment (resulting, e.g., in increased C-C cross-linking), whereas hars

SUBMITTER: Jarenmark M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7796430 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature