Host-guest sensing by calixarenes on the surfaces.

The present critical review reports on recent developments of optical nanoparticles based on the association of gold, silver, silica and quantum dots and calixarenes. These hybrid organic-inorganic compounds characterized by a thick organic layer self-assembled on the surface of a core of mineral surface atoms take advantage of the supramolecular recognition of luminescent calixarenes to fabricate nanodevices of nanoparticle size, capable of detecting metal cations, polyaromatic hydrocarbons and pesticides. Also presented is an explanation of the involvement of such nanoparticles in biochemical systems. This critical review provides an overview of their preparation, the manner in which they are characterized, and their use (108 references). This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2012