A useful approach toward the synthesis and metal extractions with polymer appended thioalkyl calix[4]arenes

This article describes a convenient method for the synthesis of two new polymeric resins via nucleophilic substitution reactions involving 5,11,17,23-tetrakis(propylthio)methyl]-25,26,27,28-tetrahydroxycalix4]arene 4, and 5,11,17,23-tetrakis(methylthio)methyl]-25,26,27,28-tetrahydroxycalix4]arene 6, as precursors with Merrifield's resin. The extraction studies were made using both liquid-liquid extraction and solid-liquid batchwise sorption procedures. The calix4]arene based polymeric resins have high extraction ability toward metal cations and Na₂Cr₂O₇ as compared to their monomeric precursors.