The occurrence and distribution of phenylphenanthrenes, phenylanthracenes and binaphthyls in Palaeozoic to Cenozoic shales from China

► We report the occurrence of phenyl PAHs in lacustrine shales for the first time. ► We study the effect of maturity on the distribution of m/z 254 isomers. ► The relative abundance of binaphthyl isomers is an effective maturity indicator. ► The Phenylphenanthrene Ratio shows a reverse change at low maturity stages. ► The absolute concentration of each isomer is obtained by internal standard.