ADAMANTYLCALIX[4]ARENES - DESIGN AND SYNTHESIS

This paper reports the synthetic pathways to adamantane containing cal ix[4] arenes, which are new prospective host molecules and useful mole cular platforms for supramolecular chemistry. It is shown for the firs t time that unsubstituted calix[4]arene can be selectively functionali zed at the upper rim by reaction with hydroxyadamantanes bearing funct ional substituents. The Ritter reaction in trifluoroacetic acid is pro posed to be a convenient method for the lower rim modification of cali x[4]arenes. The resulting selectively adamantylated calixarenes are go od starting materials for the preparation of complicated molecular ass emblies.