Sulfated pillararenes, methods of making same, and uses thereof

A compound having the following structure:

• wherein
• Ar is an aryl group wherein the aryl groups are attached in a para orientation to the adjacent methylene groups;
• each R is independently chosen from:
• —OS(O)2O−M+, —OS(O)2OH, non-sulfate anionic groups, carboxylic acid/carboxylate groups, phosphonic acid/phosphonate groups, phosphate groups, substituted or unsubstituted aryl groups, substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl groups, substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic groups, O-alkyl groups, —H, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl groups, halogens, amide groups, cyano groups, substituted or unsubstituted sulfur-containing aliphatic groups, nitro groups, amino groups, substituted or unsubstituted nitrogen-containing aliphatic groups, substituted or unsubstituted polyethylene glycol groups, polyether groups, O-aryl groups, ester groups, carbamate groups, imine groups, aldehyde groups, —SO3H groups, —SO3Na groups, —OSO2F groups, —OSO2CF3 groups, —OSO2OR′″ groups, wherein R′″ are substituted or unsubstituted aryl groups or substituted or unsubstituted alkyl groups, and combinations thereof, wherein M+ is Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Zn2+, H4N+, Et3NH+, Me4N+, (HOCH2CH2)3NH+, or a cationic form of ethylenediamine, piperazine, or trishydroxymethyl aminomethane (TRIS),
• x is 0, 1, 2, or 3;
• and y is independently at each occurrence 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4, with the proviso that at least one y is 1 and at least one R group is —OS(O)2O−M+, wherein M+ is Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Zn2+, H4N+, Et3NH+, Me4N+, (HOCH2CH2)3NH+, or a cationic form of ethylenediamine, piperazine, or trishydroxymethyl aminomethane (TRIS) or —OS(O)2OH, or a salt, a partial salt, a hydrate, a polymorph, a stereoisomer, conformational isomer, or a mixture thereof.