Five novel azo calix[4]arenes were reported. The p-aminobenzaldehyde was diazotized with sodium nitrite in aqueous hydrochloride solution. Mono-, bis-, tris- and tetrakis(p-formylphenyl)azo calix[4]arenes (including proximal and distal isomers) were obtained respectively by diazo-coupling in different molar ratio to calix[4]arene (1) under pH=7.58.5 at 05 ℃. All (p-formylphenyl)azo calix[4]arenes were characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, IR, MS (ESIMS) spectroscopies and elemental analysis.
The new chromophore compounds with NLO properties were prepared by Knoevenagel condensation from forrnyl or diformyl calix[4/arene and isophorone derivatives in the presence of piperidine and acetic acid, respectively. In these chromophore calix[4]arenes, the ring locked trienes were employed as the conjugation bridge and electron acceptor in D-π-A units. The NMR spectra demonstrated that they existed in a cone conformation and consequently non-conjugated D-π-A units could be oriented at nearly the same direction.
