Transportation of poorly soluble drug molecules from the organic phase to the aqueous phase by using phosphorylated calixarenes

This study is the first report on the extraction of poorly soluble drug molecules such as nifedipine, niclosamide, and furosemide from the organic phase to the aqueous phase by water-soluble p-phosphonate calix[n]arene receptors via a liquid-liquid phase extraction process. These water-soluble calixarene derivatives were easily obtained from the reaction between their corresponding chloromethylated derivatives and trimethyl phosphite. From the liquid-liquid phase extraction studies, it was observed that the size of the p-phosphonate calix[n]arenes changed the extraction percentage of selected drug molecules. © 2011 American Chemical Society.