Synthesis and chromogenic behavior exploration of a new calix[4]arene derivative

Presence of heavy metals is one of the major sources of environmental contamination. The widespread pollution of highly poisonous heavy metals can endanger our ecosystem thus posing a great threat to human health. Selective sensing and quantification of these toxins are fascinating areas of current research. In this regard, present work highlights the synthesis of 5,11,17,23-tetra-tert-butyl-25,27-di((2-amido(1-anthracene)ethyl)amidomethoxycalix[4]arene (3) and exploration of its selective chromogenic behavior toward toxic Hg2+. Complexation study of (3) was carried out by examining the effect of various metal ions including Li+, Na+, K+, Cs+, Ag+, Ba2+, Ca2+, Mn2+, Mg2+, Sr2+, Ni2+, Cd2+, Co2+, Cu2+, Hg2+, Pb2+, Zn2+, Fe2+, Fe3+ and Al3+ using UV-visible spectroscopy. Selective chromogenic ability of ligand (3) shows a remarkable sensitivity for Hg2+ even in the presence of various co-existing ions. The stoichiometric analysis, i.e. Job's plot reveals that (3) forms a 1:1 complex with Hg2+. The selective chromogenic response for Hg2+ was confirmed by FT-IR spectroscopy.