Cations alkali complexation

Complex Ion Formation. Phosphates form water-soluble complex ions with metallic cations, a phenomenon commonly called sequestration. In contrast to many complexing agents, polyphosphates are nonspecific and form soluble, charged complexes with virtually all metallic cations. Alkali metals are weakly complexed, but alkaline-earth and transition metals form more strongly associated complexes (eg, eq. 16). Quaternary ammonium ions are complexed Htde if at all because of their low charge density. The amount of metal ion that can be sequestered by polyphosphates generally increases... 

The anions MeF6 and X approach each other closely to form the heptacoordinated complex MeF6X(n+1)", or separate from one another, according to the polarization potential of the outer-sphere cation (alkali metal cation -M+). This process is unique in that the mode frequencies of the complexes remain practically unchanged despite varying conditions. This particular stability of the complexes is due to the high charge density of Ta5+ and Nbs+. 

Especially sensitive and selective potassium and some other ion-selective electrodes employ special complexing agents in their membranes, termed ionophores (discussed in detail on page 445). These substances, which often have cyclic structures, bind alkali metal ions and some other cations in complexes with widely varying stability constants. The membrane of an ion-selective electrode contains the salt of the determined cation with a hydrophobic anion (usually tetraphenylborate) and excess ionophore, so that the cation is mostly bound in the complex in the membrane. It can readily be demonstrated that the membrane potential obeys Eq. (6.3.3). In the presence of interferents, the selectivity coefficient is given approximately by the ratio of the stability constants of the complexes of the two ions with the ionophore. For the determination of potassium ions in the presence of interfering sodium ions, where the ionophore is the cyclic depsipeptide, valinomycin, the selectivity coefficient is Na+ 10"4, so that this electrode can be used to determine potassium ions in the presence of a 104-fold excess of sodium ions. 

On treatment with T1C1, alkali metal boratabenzenes afford the corresponding T1 compounds (51). The lower reactivity of these can be essential for some syntheses. Some of the rare cationic borabenzene complexes 35-37 could be made using thallium boratabenzenes as reagents. Similarly, (C4Me4)Co(CO)2I yielded the mixed sandwich complexes 38 and 39 in excellent yields (71). 

Novel anions stabilized by alkali-polyether cations The ability of a crown (such as 18-crown-6) or a cryptand (such as 2.2.2) to shield an alkali cation by complex formation has enabled the synthesis of a range of novel compounds containing an alkali metal cation coordinated to a crown or cryptand for which the anion is either a negatively charged alkali metal ion or a single electron (Dye Ellaboudy, 1984 Dye, 1984). Such unusual compounds are called alkalides and electrides , respectively. 

Solutions of alkali metals in ammonia have been the best studied, but other metals and other solvents give similar results. The alkaline earth metals except- beryllium form similar solutions readily, but upon evaporation a solid ammoniste. M(NHJ)jr, is formed. Lanthanide elements with stable +2 oxidation states (europium, ytterbium) also form solutions. Cathodic reduction of solutions of aluminum iodide, beryllium chloride, and teUraalkybmmonium halides yields blue solutions, presumably containing AP+, 3e Be2, 2e and R4N, e respectively. Other solvents such as various amines, ethers, and hexameihytphosphoramide have been investigated and show some propensity to form this type of solution. Although none does so as readily as ammonia, stabilization of the cation by complexation results in typical blue solutions... 

In a similar manner the so-called Zintl salts composed of alkali metal cations and clusters of metals as anions (see Chapter 16) were known in liquid ammonia solution but proved to be impossible to isolate Upon removal of the solvent they reverted to alloys. Stabilization of the cations by complexation with macrocyclic ligands allowed the isolation and determination of the structures of these compounds. 

Multisite crown ethers (30) and (31) are polymacrocycles. These molecules are potentially like cryptands in view of the possibilities for forming inclusion-like species. The photoresponsive crowns provide an excellent example of this aspect, and consist of two crown ethers, as in (30a and 30b), attached via a photosensitive azo linkage. This molecule undergoes reversible isomerization (likened to a butterfly motion), shown in equation (13). The cis form gives a stable 1 1 cation ligand complex with the larger alkali cations (actually a 1 2 cation crown ratio). Concentrations of (30b) in solutions are thus noted to be enhanced by the addition of these cations.100,101 Other multisite crowns have been prepared from diphenyl- and triphenyl-methane dyes, e.g. (31).102... 

The question of carrier design was first addressed for the transport of inorganic cations. In fact, selective alkali cation transport was one of the initial objectives of our work on cryptates [1.26a, 6.4]. Natural acyclic and macrocyclic ligands (such as monensin, valinomycin, enniatin, nonactin, etc.) were found early on to act as selective ion carriers, ionophores and have been extensively studied, in particular in view of their antibiotic properties [1.21, 6.5]. The discovery of the cation binding properties of crown ethers and of cryptates led to active investigations of the ionophoretic properties of these synthetic compounds [2.3c, 6.1,6.2,6.4-6.13], The first step resides in the ability of these substances to lipophilize cations by complexation and to extract them into an organic or membrane phase [6.14, 6.15]. 

The (3-diketonate chelate complexes are very stable and exhibit properties which are rather typical of aromatic systems. Many of their reactions such as halogenation, alkylation and acylation can be compared with those of the P-diketonate anions associated with alkali metal cations. However, complexes of transition and other metals add to the stability of the system, so that quite vigorous reaction conditions can be employed. In most of the work carried out on P-diketonate chelates, the modified ligand has not been removed from the metal ion, but this can usually be effected if desired. 

Ab initio quantum chemical calculations show the existence of bonding interactions between acetylene and an alkali metal cation, the complex formed being a nonclassical bridged structure with the electron density transferred to a large extent onto the cation (82IZV891, 82IZV1474, 82IZV1477). 

The energy values (a.u.) of the lowest vacant orbitals of alkali metal cations in complexes with acetylene are as follows (82IZV1477)... 

MD simulations performed on calix[4]arene-monocrown-6 and on calix[4]arene-bis-crown-6 and their alkali complexes, suggested that incorporation of aromatic groups in the crown ether loop was a possible way to enhance cation binding and cesium over sodium selectivity.45... 

Results obtained by ES/MS confirm that the stability of calixarene/cation complexes depends upon the medium. The calixarene in solution presents a strong affinity for cesium, whereas in the gas phase, it displays a stronger affinity for sodium. Moreover, the stability of calixarene/Na+ complexation in a solvent phase is increased by the presence of water in the dilution system (up to 40% in acetonitrile), whereas other alkali complexes are destabilized by the presence of water. Finally, affinity for sodium, which is weak in the solution for calixarenes bearing benzo moieties, considerably increases in the gas phase. These results confirm the interpretation of the MD simulations in an aqueous phase, which lead the authors to conclude that cesium-over-sodium selectivity is governed by the hydration of the sodium cation in the complex, and by the higher hydrophobicity of the complexation site leading to an enhancement of selectivity for cesium over sodium 49... 

Chiral di mination studies with the tetra-amine 54 were also performed with respect to racemic molecular anions via the formation of cascade complexes. Regulation of the chiral discrimination may be achieved to some extent by the nature of the cation initially complexed. Efficient ion pairing with molecular anions is favoured in solvents of low polarity. In this respect, aqueous solutions of alkali metal salts of ( )-mandelic acid or (+)-a-hydroxy-l-naphthaleneacetic acid were extracted into a CDCI3 phase where the ligand 54 is dissolved. In case of the mandelate anion, the anion ligand ratios in the CDCI3 layer were as follows Na (0.6 1), (1 1),... 

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