Calixarene-based pure and mixed assemblies for biomedical applications

ABSTRACT The spontaneous preparation of well-defined functional nanoscale systems is very important, since this formulation process requires additional resources, external supply of energy and time. One of the widely used methods of their spontaneous formation is the self-assembling process using of various calixarene building blocks. The relative simplicity of the synthesis of initial calixarene skeleton, the possibility of modifying both of its rims with a wide range of chemical groups, and the presence of a hydrophobic aromatic cavity allow the use of calixarenes to create both individual and mixed aggregates. This article summarises different types of self-assembled calixarene-based amphiphilic aggregates with useful properties. Potential applications of these aggregates in biological nanotechnology are also described. Graphical abstract