Sensors 2006, 6(8), 962-977; doi:10.3390/s6080962
The Nature of Aqueous Solutions of a Cationic Calix[4]arene: A Comparative Study of Dye–Calixarene and Dye–Surfactant Interactions
Department of Physical Chemistry, Kharkov National University, 61077, Kharkov, Ukraine; Institute of Organic Chemistry, National Academy of Science of Ukraine, 02094, Kiev, Ukraine
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Received: 30 April 2006 / Accepted: 17 July 2006 / Published: 24 August 2006
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Supramolecular Sensors)
Abstract
Among different types of calixarenes, the water–soluble ones are of especial interestbecause of their possible applications in biochemical research. In order to elucidate the natureof aqueous solutions of a cationic amphiphilic calixarene, substituted tetrapropoxycalix[4]arene bearing hydrophilic choline groups at the upper rim, we studied vis–spectroscopically the influence of the above system on the acid–base behavior of threeindicator dyes, namely, 2,4-dinitrophenol, bromophenol blue, and N,N/-dioctadecylrhodamine,at constant ionic strength of 0.05 M, maintained with NaCl addition. Simultaneously,‘apparent’ ionization constants, Kaa , of the same dyes were determined in the presence ofcommon cationic surfactant micelles. Within the concentration range from 1.0×10–5 to 0.01 M,the aforementioned water–soluble calixarene displays effects similar to those of micelles ofcetyltrimethylammonium bromide (or chloride). The shifts of the absorption and emissionbands in the visible region, as well as the alterations of the Kaa values against the ‘aqueous’ones appeared to be very similar in aqueous solutions of both calix[4]arene and cationicsurfactant. A conclusion can be made about aggregation (or association), i.e., micelleformation of the cationic calix[4]arene under study. View Full-Text
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Mchedlov-Petrossyan, N.O.; Vilkova, L.N.; Vodolazkaya, N.A.; Yakubovskaya, A.G.; Rodik, R.V.; Boyko, V.I.; Kalchenko, V.I. The Nature of Aqueous Solutions of a Cationic Calix[4]arene: A Comparative Study of Dye–Calixarene and Dye–Surfactant Interactions. Sensors 2006, 6, 962-977.