Sorption of azo dyes from aqueous solutions by tetradodecyloxybenzylcalix[4]resorcinarene derivatives

Four water-insoluble tetradodecyloxybenzylcalix[4]resorcinarenes with various functional groups at the upper macrocycle rim (unsubstituted calix[4]resorcinarene 1, carboxylic acid derivative 2, ethyl ester derivative 3 and aminoethylamide derivative 4) were synthesized and tested as sorbents for water-soluble azo dyes methyl orange (MO), acid orange 5 (AO 5) and congo red (CR) by solid–liquid extraction method without background electrolyte. It was observed that the sorption of azo dyes reaches 99% for sorbent 4, which is partial protonated in contact with water and becomes able to electrostatic interactions with the dyes. It was demonstrates that calixresorcinarene 4 has the excellent sorption capacity for AO5 (130.5 mg dye per g of sorbent) due to effective calixresorcinarene—dye association in equal molar ratio mode.