Supramolecular interactions of [60]- and [70]fullerenes with calix[n]arenes

[60]- and [70]Fullerenes have been shown to form 1: 1 supramolecular complexes with (i) 24,26-dimethoxy-25,27-dihydroxy-5,11,17,23-tetra(4-tert-butyl)calix[4]arene (1) and (ii) 37,39,41-trimethoxy-38,40,42-trihydroxy-5,11,17,23,29,35-hexa(4-tert-butyl)calix[6]arene (2) in CCl4 medium by absorption spectroscopy. Charge transfer absorption bands of the complexes have been located in each of the cases (except [70]fullerene-2 complex) studied from which the vertical ionisation potential of 1 has been obtained. Formation constants of the complexes have been determined at four different temperatures from which the enthalpies and entropies of formation of the complexes have been obtained. Moreover, the formation constant of [70]fullerene-2 complex is higher than that of the [60]fullerene-1 and [60]fullerene-2 complexes at all the four temperatures studied. This has been accounted in terms of greater cavity size of 2 which is a calix[6]arene compared to I which is a calix[4]arene and also by the fact that a high degree of preorganisation takes place in case of 2 through intramolecular H-bonding at its lower rim. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.