APPLICATION OF CALIXARENES FOR THE DECORPORATION OF URANIUM - PRESENTLIMITATIONS AND FURTHER TRENDS

The present study screened two different types of compounds, calixaren es and diphosphonates, for their ability to decrease uranium binding i n the body following an accidental contamination. Two calixarenes, sul phonate calix[6]arene (S6) and sulfonate calix[8]arene (S8), were synt hesised. Their chelating constants for UO2++ were found to be 1.8 x 10 (19) and 7 x 10(40) respectively. At a dosage of 13 mg.kg-1, S6 was he patotoxic; S8 was slightly less toxic. The two calixarenes and the dip hosphonates (trimethane phosphonic acid, ethylene diamine tetramethane phosphonic acid and cyclohexane diamine tetramethane phosphonic acid) were tested for their decorporating properties. None of the molecules investigated was found to be an effective agent for uranyl ion.