Calixazacrowns from Molecular Receptors to Advanced Responsive Materials

Besides cyclodextrins and crown ethers, calixarenes are the most commonly studied macrocyclic compounds. Although their chemistry is well documented, sub-categorizing of azacrown conjugates of calixarenes still stands as a mystery. This review, mustered with 104 references, offers the readers of various disciplines an overview of the up to date knowledge of calixazacrowns apropos to their recognition behavior in solution and at the surface, and assesses the state of the art achievements in their self-assembly and application in nanomaterial chemistry, sensing, light-emitting, electronics and biology. The progress of calixazacrowns in the nanoworld is anticipated to emerge as a rich research area in near future.