Self-assembly strategies for improving the water solubility of new amino acid calix[4]resorcinarenes

Abstract C -methylcalix[4]resorcinarenes with glycine, d , l -alanine and d , l -valine residues and their water-soluble forms are obtained. The water solubility enhancements of these macrocycles depend on the structures of the amino acid residues; the solubility of macrocycles in aqueous solutions is enhanced by increasing basicity with branching amino acid residues. The controlled fabrication of specific nanostructures from the self-assembly of molecular building blocks through fine pH tuning by the use of sodium hydroxide and sodium n -dodecyl sulfate renders the calix[4]resorcinarenes studied more soluble in water.