Polyaromatic Calixarene Hosts: Calix[4]pyrenes

Calixpyrenes, calix[4]arenes
incorporating one or two pyrene moieties
as a part of their hydrophobic cavities, have been prepared and fully
characterized. Distally di-O-propoxy diether of the
calix dipyrene, which exists in the pinched cone conformation with
nearly parallel pyrene moieties, demonstrates strongly enhanced binding
of an organic cation (N-methylpyridinium) compared
with the analogous diethers of the parent calix[4]arene.