COLORADO PALEOCENE SILICIFIED GYMNOSPERM YEILDS FIRST IN SITU STYRENE—A MULTI-DISCIPLINARY PARTIAL, CHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION

Styrene/polystyrene(ethenyl-benzene) has been previously studied from several fossil resins, but the samples lacked confirmed association with fossil plants although an angiosperm Liquidambar sp was suggested. Here we presented a preliminary multi-disciplinary study of an in situ fossil styrene resin recovered from a silicified conifer of Paleocene age located in Colorado and selected fresh and fossil materials for comparative data. Solvent extraction GC/MS was used to study the non-polar components where the specimens went readily into solution and soluable polar molecules were submitted to Electrospray-Liquid Chromatography(ESI-LC). Py-GC/MS was employed upon both intractable and soluable materials for comparison of techniques and data recovery. Isotopic(CO2) C13/C14 were used initially to determine the resins natural origin. Thin sections were expertly identified as the gymnosperms Cupressaceae/Taxodiaceae similar to Juniperus. An alternative natural biochemical cascade-the Shikimic pathway of phenylalinine to stilbene[(a di-aromatic with a double bond) 1,2-diphenyethylene] is postulated for the presence of the styrene monomer, but the polymerized products(di-, tri- and tetramer) mechanisim remains uncertain.

This study found an aromatic styrene monomer , in small amounts, in the fresh wound exude of the Sweetgum tree., but never a polymer. Previous studies suggest that because styrene was first isolated from this plant, and that the resins studied contained styrene and because Sweetgum (Liquidambar) fossil remains were found “in the vacinity” therefore an affiliation was ascribed. Observations of stilbenes in this study and the conifer determination suggest an alternative origin related to the breakdown of Stilbenes. Some Cretaceous coal resin extractions, however contain some Sweetgum chemistry.

Additionally, this study observed HCs, cyclics, poly-cyclic aromatics, flavone and numerous breakdown products related to phenolics and stilbenes. As part of our on-going research, we are attempting to fractionate these specimens prior to injection, to avoid occlusion.

This study accomplished because of the cooperation of the USFS-Miss.; USGS Energy Team, Denver; Geochem.@ U of Okla., Argone Nat. Lab; NJ State Mus.; USGS Water Lab, Denver; Ben LePage; Thomas C. Michalski, Denver; et al.