Calixarenes, metal coordination polymers

The sensor covalently joined a bithiophene unit with a crown ether macrocycle as the monomeric unit for polymerization (Scheme 1). The spatial distribution of oxygen coordination sites around a metal ion causes planarization of the backbone in the bithiophene, eliciting a red-shift upon metal coordination. They expanded upon this bithiophene structure by replacing the crown ether macrocycle with a calixarene-based ion receptor, and worked with both a monomeric model and a polymeric version to compare ion-binding specificity and behavior [13]. The monomer exhibited less specificity for Na+ than the polymer. However, with the gradual addition of Na+, the monomer underwent a steady blue shift in fluorescence emission whereas the polymer appeared to reach a critical concentration where the spectra rapidly transitioned to a shorter wavelength. Scheme 2 illustrates the proposed explanation for blue shift with increasing ion concentration. 

In this chapter selected examples of metal ion separations with polymeric macrocycles such as crown ethers, calixarenes, resorcinarenes, calixcrowns and cyclodextrins, reported in recent literature, are presented. Particularly, the use of those polymers in separation processes such as ion flotation, solvent extraction as well as transport across liquid and polymer membranes is shown. First, selected examples of crown ether polymers variety cross linked as metal ion carriers are described, then selectivity species by donor sites bonding and coordination are characterized. 

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