A variety of double-armed diaza-crown ethers were examined as synthetic ionophores in which pyridine- and quinoline-functionalized arms were attached as secondary donor sites. Binding constant determinations and C-13 NMR titration experiments revealed that introduction of a pyridine-functionalized arm, if in the proper geometrical arrangement, significantly enhanced complex stabilities for divalent metal cations via three-dimensional encapsulation. In a CH2Cl2 liquid membrane transport system, some pyridine-armed diaza-crown ethers exhibited unique and excellent transport abilities for transition-metal cations as well as for alkali and alkaline earth cations. Since these transport profiles differed greatly from those observed with conventional crown ethers, the present study offers new possibilities for designing novel types of synthetic ionophores.
Pyridino-armed diaza-crown ethers for specific transport of “transition metal cations”
A new series of doublearmed diaza-crown ethers, bearing pyridino- and quinolino-arm groups, were first shown to effectivelybind and transport some “transition metal cations” via three-dimensional complexations, which were not attained by common crownethers.