Thermal behaviour of some ester derivatives of p-tert-butyl calix[n]arene

The thermal behaviour of three ester derivatives of p-tert-butyl calix[n]arene (n = 4, 6 and 8) in comparison with the parent calixarene was investigated by means of the thermogravimetric (TG) and differential thermogravimetic (DTG) analysis and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The thermal stability domains, the composition of the pyrolysis products and the thermal effects, were determined on the basis of TG, DTG and DSC plots registered in nitrogen flow. Attempts to analyse the evolved gases by TG-FTIR coupling were also performed. It was demonstrated that the stability of the calix[n]arene derivatives depends on both the size of the hydrophobic cavity and number of the substituting groups grafted on the calix[n]arene skeleton.