Abstract

A new family of non-ionic amphiphilic dendro-calix[4]arene bearing hydrophilic branched substituents at the upper rim and lipophilic alkyl chains at the lower rim was designed and synthesized. Micelles of various sizes are obtained due to the amphiphilic nature of the calix[4]arene derivatives in aqueous medium. The amphiphilic calix[4]arene derivatives effectively load hydrophobic dye such as alizarin yellow via secondary interactions such as hydrogen bonding and π-π stacking. The length of alkyl chain and the intrinsic cyclic nature of calixarene scaffold have shown a significant impact on the transport potential of all amphiphiles.

Keywords: Calix[4]arene, Self-assembly, Micelles, Encapsulation potential