Calixarene based chemical sensors

Abstract

Calixarenes have seen widespread use as receptors for cations, anions and neutral molecules. Incorporation of thoughtfully designed binding motifs and chemical groups that respond to analyte complexation has given these macrocycles further applications as highly selective chemical sensors. This review briefly describes the history of the calixarenes and their nomenclature before examining how they have been used as chemical sensors or as modifiers in analytical devices. The review covers colorimetric calixarene sensors, calixarenes that give fluorescent responses to analytes via PET, PCT, FRET and excimer activity, electrochemically active calixarenes, calixarenes as modifiers on quartz crystal microbalance electrodes and considers the potential for calixarene sensors to be used in biomedicine.