Syntheses and extraction properties of novel biscalixarene and thiacalix[4]arene hydrazone derivatives

By reacting thiacalix[4]arene with p-tosyloxyethoxylbenzaldehyde 1, 3-bis(benzaldehyde-4-oxyethyloxy)-p-tert-butylthiacalix[4]arene (2) were prepared in yield of 65%. Refluxing compound 2 with aniline, salicylic hydrazide, nicotinic hydrazide and isonicotinic hydrazide, novel ringopening 1,3-bis-arylformyl-hydrazone substituted thiacalix[4]arene derivatives (3a–3d) were obtained in yields of 77–89%. Refluxing compound 2 with o-phenylendiamine, oxalyl dihydrazide, malonic dihydrazide and adipic dihydrazide in “1 + 1” intermolecular condensation mode under diluted condition, novel 1,3-bis-acyl hydrazone-bridged calix[4]arene derivatives (4a–4d) were prepared in good yields. Moreover, by condensating compound 2 with 1,3-bis(hydrazinocarbonyl-methoxy)-p-tert-butylcalix[4]arene (5), the first example of hydrazone-bridged biscalixarene (6) with calix[4]arene and thiacalix[4]arene subunits was facilely synthesized in yield of 90%. The noncompetitive and competitive extracting experiments showed that these novel hosts were good receptors for both metal cations and α-amino acids. Compounds 3a–3d and 4a–4d showed similar binding properties with high extraction percentage but low extracting selectivities. Biscalixarene 6 exhibited not only high extracting abilities but also good extracting selectivities.