Interaction of aminomethylated resorcinarenes with rhodamine B

The interaction of aminomethylated resorcinarenes with a red xanthene dye, rhodamine B, was investigated in chloroform, methanol and chloroform–methanol solutions using UV-vis, NMR and fluorescence spectroscopy. Aminomethylated resorcinarenes 1 and 2 shift the rhodamine B equilibrium from the zwitterion to the lactone form unlike reference compounds 3 and 4, which do not contain tertiary amino groups at the upper rim, giving an example of how supramolecular hosts can influence the equilibrium of rhodamine B isomers.