Polarity cyclodienes

In order to increase the solubiUty parameter of CPD-based resins, vinyl aromatic compounds, as well as other polar monomers, have been copolymerized with CPD. Indene and styrene are two common aromatic streams used to modify cyclodiene-based resins. They may be used as pure monomers or contained in aromatic steam cracked petroleum fractions. Addition of indene at the expense of DCPD in a thermal polymerization has been found to lower the yield and softening point of the resin (55). CompatibiUty of a resin with ethylene—vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymers, which are used in hot melt adhesive appHcations, may be improved by the copolymerization of aromatic monomers with CPD. As with other thermally polymerized CPD-based resins, aromatic modified thermal resins may be hydrogenated. 

The formation of polar metabolites from nonpolar materials may actually facilitate monitoring programs—in many cases the polar chemicals are highly concentrated in certain body fluids such as bile and urine. On the other hand, materials such as certain cyclodienes and polychlorinated biphenyls, which are very lipid soluble and resistant to metabolism, may accumulate and these chemicals may persist in the environment and may be transferred via the food chain to man. There is also interest in these biotransformation processes in lower organisms since the simplicity of these systems may lead to a better understanding of the phylogenetic development of xenobiotic metabolism. 

Our results clearly point out the critical role of sample cleanup in development of an immunoassay for lipophilic compounds. The methods should be simple, rapid, and capable of being exported into the field if the full potential of immunoassays are to be realized. The sample cleanup method we describe here meets these criteria for heptachlor, aldrin and chlordane. However, recovery experiments clearly indicate that the more polar epoxides of these insecticides are retained on the column. Thus, while the antibody binds all cyclodiene insecticides with roughly equal affinity, the cleanup method will not equally present the cyclodienes to the assay. Attempts at using mixed solvent elution systems such as ether/hexane remove the more polar insecticides but also remove more of the starting fat and interfering compound(s). Thus, further efforts in the area of sample cleanup are needed. 

The types of monomer susceptible to metathesis polymerization reactions are limited, however, and those that are most suitable are strained ring structures. Thermodynamic considraations account for the lack of reaction with six-membraed rings, and strain-free cyclohexene derivatives or conjngated cyclodienes tend to be excluded. Newer catalysts that can polymerize polar monomers are now available. Cyclic monomers contain fnnctional groups, -OH, -COOH, -COOR, -CONHj, and -NHj, can be used with the newer catalysts that have been developed. 

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