The baskets are back

Calixarenes: an introduction 

C David Gutsche 

Cambridge, UK: RSC Publishing 2008 | 276pp | ?59.95 (HB) ISBN 9780854042568 

Reviewed by Philip Gale

In 1989, David Gutsche’s book Calixarenes  launched the RSC’s Monographs in supramolecular chemistry  series. Calixarenes are basket-shaped phenolic macrocycles that have found a wide variety of applications in host-guest chemistry both for their inclusion properties and as molecular scaffolding from which more complex molecular architectures can be constructed.  

Back in 1992 as a postgraduate student working in this area, I found Gutsche’s book invaluable, combining an accessible introduction to the area tracing the development of calixarene chemistry with a key reference book containing many useful NMR spectra, molecular models and references.  

A second volume, Calixarenes revisited, was published in 1998 which, due to the great activity in the area in the intervening years, took the form of an extended review article for those already familiar with calixarene chemistry. 

Now almost 20 years since the first volume, Gutsche has updated the original book, renamed Calixarenes: an introduction. The new volume keeps the tutorial feel of the first book, retaining much of the original structure, augmented with recent examples from the literature.  

Starting with Baeyer’s work on phenol formaldehyde condensation chemistry, the book gives a historical perspective on the development of the synthesis of calixarenes of varying ring size, followed by chapters on characterisation, functionalisation, complexation and applications of calixarenes. 

Providing a useful up-to-date introduction to the field of calixarenes, Calixarenes: an introductionis a valuable update to a seminal book.