Calixresorcinarene complexation of rare earth ions in liquid monolayers and multilayer Langmuir–Blodgett films

Calix[4]resorcinarenes octafunctionalized with methyl α-acetate (CALES) or diethyl α-acetamide (CALAM) have been used to prepare liquid monolayers on subphases of Milli-Q™ water and terbium aqueous solution. Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) films on hydrophobic substrates are characterized using UV–visible and emission spectroscopies. The UV–visible spectra show that the molecules in the LB films have the same structural conformation as the molecules in the solution. Comparison of the emission spectra obtained from the solution and the LB films indicates the formation of excimer aggregates in the films.