Luminescence and diffuse reflectance studies of biacetyl included within p-tert-butylcalixarenes

A lifetime distribution analysis has shown a single band, peaking at 1.9 ms for biacetyl/calix[4]arene indicating a unique emissive species and in accordance with an endo inclusion of the probe within the non-polar cavity of the calixarene. Furthermore, in the calix[6]arene inclusion, the lifetime distribution exhibits two maxima peaking at 40 and 174 μs, showing that in this case the probe is emitting in two different environments, a more confined one within the non-polar cavity of the calixarene, while some others probe molecules emit from a location within the polar lower rim, in accordance with an exo-calix complex formation.