Ring formation crown ethers

Rate constants for reaction of Ca2+aq with macrocycles and with cryptands (281,282,291) reflect the need for conformational changes, considerably more difficult for cryptands than for crown ethers, which may be considerably slower than formation of the first Ca2+-ligand bond. Ca2+aq reacts with crown ethers such as 18-crown-6 with rate constants of the order of 5 x 107M 1 s, with diaza crown ethers more slowly (286,326). The more demanding cryptands complex Ca2+ more slowly than crown ethers (kfslow reaction for cryptands with benzene rings fused to the macrocycle. The dominance of kA over kt in determining stability constants is well illustrated by the cryptates included in Table X. Whereas for formation of the [2,1,1], [2,2,1], and [2,2,2] cryptates kf values increase in order smoothly and gently, the k( sequence Ca[2,l,l]2+ Ca[2,2,l]2+ Ca[2,2,2]2+ determines the very marked preference of Ca2+ for the cryptand [2,2,1] (290). 

The formation of the merocyanine form 119 can be induced by addition of heavy metal cations (Pb, La, Eu, Tb ) to a solution of a spirooxazine 118 containing a crown ether group in the B-ring (Equation 1). The chelation occurs first to the crown ether and then to the negatively charged oxygen. In contrast, 118 does not react upon addition of alkaline earth metal cations (Mg, Ca, Ba ) <2005JP0504>. 

Crown ethers are large-ring cyclic ethers with several O atoms. A typical example is 18-crown-6 ther, Fig. 14-l(a). The first number in the name is the total number of atoms in the ring, the second number is the number of O atoms. Crown ethers are excellent solvaters of cations of salts through formation of ion-dipole bonds. 18-Crown-6 ether strongly complexes and traps K, [from, e.g., KF, as shown in Fig. 14-1(6)]. 

Anionic ring-opening polymerization of l,2,3,4-tetramethyl-l,2,3,4-tetraphenylcyclo-tetrasilane is quite effectively initiated by butyllithium or silyl potassium initiators. The process resembles the anionic polymerization of other monomers where solvent effects play an important role. In THF, the reaction takes place very rapidly but mainly cyclic live- and six-membered oligomers are formed. Polymerization is very slow in nonpolar media (toluene, benzene) however, reactions are accelerated by the addition of small amounts of THF or crown ethers. The stereochemical control leading to the formation of syndiotactic, heterotactic or isotactic polymers is poor in all cases. In order to improve the stereoselectivity of the polymerization reaction, more sluggish initiators like silyl cuprates are very effective. A possible reaction mechanism is discussed elsewhere49,52. 

---