A Comparative Analysis of Vanadyl Porphyrins Isolated from Resins of Heavy Oils with High and Low Vanadium Content

The composition of purified vanadyl porphyrins recovered from the resins of heavy oils possessing high and low vanadium contents was investigated. Vanadium content in the resins of the heavy oils under study differs by a factor of ca. 15. To recover and purify vanadyl porphyrins from the resins, extraction by N,N–dimethylformamide (DMF) with subsequent two-stage column chromatography on silica gel and sulfocationite were employed. The change of structural-group composition and content of vanadyl porphyrins in the products obtained at each stage was evaluated using Fourier IR and UV-Vis spectroscopy. Analysis of the purified vanadyl porphyrins using MALDI mass spectrometry determined distribution of their most abundant types (etio- and DPEP) and identified C27–C39 homologs for the resins possessing high vanadium content and C28–C39 homologs for the resins with low vanadium content.