Amidophenol-Modified Amphiphilic Calixarenes: Synthesis, Interfacial Self-Assembly, and Acetaminophen Crystal Nucleation Properties

Three amidophenol-modified calixarenes have been produced reacting the parent 5,11,17,23-tetracarboxy-25,26,27,28-tetradodecyloxycalix[4]arene with o-, m-, and p-aminophenol. The produced amphiphiles have been shown to form stable monomolecular Langmuir layers on water. Working on subphases containing 1 mM acetaminophen (APAP), it has been demonstrated that the produced amphiphiles interact with this active pharmaceutically ingredient (API) with a relevant preference for the para-derivative that possesses in its structure substituents that are analogous to the target. Working at supersaturating concentrations of APAP, it has been demonstrated that the so-produced calixarene Langmuir monolayers do favor crystallization of APAP (polymorph I), with a clear effect of the packing density of the amphiphile at the interface on the quantity of produced crystals. Monolayers of the para-derivative have been transferred on solid substrates using the Langmuir–Blodgett technique; the so-produced ultrathin films have been shown to initiate surface crystal nucleation of APAP. The produced solids have been analyzed by single-crystal X-ray crystallography and shown to preferentially grow in the [010] direction.