Synthesis and characterization of bisphenol-A copolyethers and copolyesters carrying calix[4]arene units in the main chains and their binding properties towards silver cations

A modified interfacial polycondensation between bisphenol-A and 1,3-dimetho xy lower-rim substituted calix[4]arene derivatives with dibromomethane in t he presence of tetrabutylammonium hydrogen sulfate as phase transfer cataly st (PTC) leads to copolyethers with variable (M) over bar(w) values dependi ng on the reaction temperature and the amount of PTC. The calix[4]arene con tent in the polymer chains depends on the phenolic monomer ratios. The poly condensation reaction of the same comonomers with terephthaloyl chloride bu t in the absence of the above PTC affords the corresponding copolyester. Th e soluble fraction of this polymeric material in CHCl3 showed (M) over bar( w) of ca. 21000 and a variable calix[4]arene content depending on the pheno lic monomer ratio as well. The binding properties of the copolyethers towar d silver ions are ten-fold higher than those of a model tetraalkoxy calix[4 ]arene derivative. It is suggested that this increased receptor ability is due to the change of the original cone conformation of the macrocyclic mono mer into the partial-cone conformation by incorporation in the polymer.