The properties and characteristics of calix[n]arenes are described, as well as their capacity to form amphiphilic assemblies by means of the design of synthetic macrocycles with a hydrophilic head and a hydrophobic tail. Their interaction with various substances of interest in pharmacy, engineering, and medicine is also described. In particular, the role of the calix[n]arenes in the detection of dopamine, the design of vesicles and liposomes employed in the manufacture of systems of controlled release drugs used in the treatment of cancer, and their role in improving the solubility of testosterone and anthelmintic drugs and the biocompatibility of biomaterials useful for the manufacture of synthetic organs is emphasized. The versatility of these macrocycles, able to vary in size, shape, functional groups, and hydrophobicity and to recognize various biomolecules and molecules with biological activity without causing cytotoxicity is highlighted.

This review highlights the nature, characteristics, properties, pharmacological differences between different types of benzodiazepines, the mechanism of action in the central nervous system, and the degradation of benzodiazepines. In the end, the efforts to reduce the benzodiazepines’ adverse effects are shown and a reflection is made on the responsible uses of these medications.

This article is based on a review of the literature and our own experience with toxicological molecules. We explain the nature of calix[n]arenes and as their recognized properties are used to detect compounds of toxicological interest, mainly the most important pesticide families such as organophosphorated, organochlorine compounds, pyrethroid insecticides, carbamate fungicides, and herbicides, using different techniques. In addition, we show the role of the macrocycle and its interactions, and the advantage of using this type of compound for improving conventional techniques, where the phenomenon of recognition is very important, such as chromatography, solid-phased extraction, and the development of specific sensors, among others and Even we also show the use of this macrocycle for detoxication procedures in vivo. In this way, we display as the multiple possibilities of functionalization of the calix[n]arenes makes these versatile molecules in the phenomena of specific recognition. Finally, This review highlights the main analytical methods reported in the literature for determination of plaguicides by host-guest interaction with calixarenes. In this way, among the available analytical tools, chromatographic, and electrochemical-based methods are the most used techniques for the detection and to quantify plaguicides using calixarenes.

Two sulfonated resorcinarenes were synthesized by reacting C-tetra(butyl) resorcinarene or C-tetra(2-(methylthio)ethyl)resorcinarene with formaldehyde in the presence of sodium sulfite. Their structures were determined via FT-IR, ¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR and mass spectrometry. Thermal gravimetric analyses of the derivatives were also carried out and revealed the presence of water molecules in the solid state. The sulfonated product of C-tetra(butyl)resorcinarene was characterized by an X-ray crystal structure determination. The asymmetric unit contains eight molecules of water and two of acetone, and analysis indicated that sulfonated resorcinarene prefers a cone configuration (rccc conformation) in the solid state. In the crystal array, classical hydrogen bond interactions O-H···O and intermolecular contacts were observed. In the crystal packing, a linear array of capsules of sulfonated resorcinarenes was generated for a chain of sodium atoms and sulfonate groups.

Rapid industrialization and the indiscriminate use of fossil fuels have generated an impact that is affecting the climate worldwide. Among the substances that are causing climate change are several gases such as carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), nitrous oxide (N₂O) and sulphur hexafluoride (SF₆), among others. Particularly, carbon dioxide is one of the substances that has attracted the most attention from researchers, as it is responsible for more than three quarters of greenhouse gases. Because of this, many efforts have been directed towards the capture of CO₂, its separation, adsorption and transformation into products that are less harmful to the environment or that even have added value in the industry. For this purpose, the use of different types of macrocycles has been explored mainly in the last 5 years. This review seeks to present the advances that have occurred in recent years in the capture and transformation of CO₂ by different methods, to finally focus on the capture and transformation through macrocycle systems such as azacompounds, heterometallic macrocycles, calixpyrrols, modified cyclodextrins and metallic porphyrins, among others.