The authors of the new paper studied methoxyl groups in coal samples from around the world to show that
The methoxyl group contains a carbon atomand three hydrogen atoms bonded to an oxygen atom. The latter can attach to any number of sites in a large molecule. When it comes to carbon, it attaches to a carbon atom in one of its ring bonds.
According to the authors, the methoxyl groups in coaltend to form into methane, but this process has so far been poorly understood. To better understand what's going on, the scientists used stable carbon isotopes in the remaining methoxyl groups.
They found that organic material ineventually becomes coal under the influence of microorganisms. They tested other possibilities and noted that the isotope profile did not match what would be found if the methane was formed due to heat, acidity or catalytic reactions. This means that only the option with microorganisms remains.
Geochemists claim that coal is formed underinfluenced by temperature, acids or catalysts. But our results are not consistent with these mechanisms. They show that microbes directly consume the methoxy groups of coal, transforming the coal and producing methane.
Research text
The authors note that this discovery will help to efficiently extract methane from coal deposits.
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