Diagenesin

Diagenesin is a term used in speculative geochemistry to denote a hypothetical diagenetic catalyst that could influence the chemical transformations of organic matter and minerals during the diagenetic stage of sediment burial. It is not recognized as a real substance in established chemical or geological literature.

The name combines diagenesis, the suite of post-depositional changes in sediments, with the -in suffix commonly used for chemical species. In hypothetical models, Diagenesin is imagined as a small, organometallic complex whose activity depends on fluid composition and redox state.

In these thought experiments, Diagenesin is described as having variability in its ligands, which would allow it to catalyze rearrangements of kerogen, clay minerals, and phosphate phases under suboxic to anoxic conditions. Reported properties in speculative scenarios include modest thermal stability and activity at the low to moderate temperatures typical of early diagenesis.

Diagenesin is treated as a conceptual placeholder rather than an empirically verified compound. It is referenced in discussions aimed at illustrating how unknown catalysts might affect preservation pathways, mineral precipitation, and hydrocarbon maturation, rather than as a chemical with demonstrated existence.

Because there is no experimental evidence or peer-reviewed data supporting its existence, Diagenesin is used primarily as a heuristic in theoretical or educational contexts to discuss diagenetic processes and their potential complexity.